John Ellis

John Charles Ellis (August 21, 1948 – April 5, 2022) was a first baseman and catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1969 to 1981 with the New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians, and Texas Rangers. A standout two-sport athlete at New London High School in Connecticut, Ellis signed with the Yankees as an undrafted free agent in 1966. He made his major league debut in 1969 as an injury replacement for Jake Gibbs, hitting an inside-the-park home run in that first game. After Thurman Munson took over as starting catcher, Ellis shifted to first base, batting .248 with seven home runs and 29 RBI in 78 games during 1970. He was traded to Cleveland in November 1972 in the deal that brought Graig Nettles to New York.