Former Pirates catcher Ed Ott passed away on Sunday, the team announced.
Ott was 72 years old.
He was selected 23rd overall by Pittsburgh in the June 1970 draft and continued to make a huge impact on the organization as a leader in the clubhouse and a hard-nosed player on the field.
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of a beloved member of the Pirates family,” Pirates President Travis Williams said. “Ed spent seven of his eight years in the major leagues with the Pirates and was a valued member of the 1979 World Series winning team. Last summer, while in Pittsburgh to support former teammate Kent Tekub, , I was really happy to meet him” at the Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
“Our deepest condolences go out to his wife Sue, daughter Michelle, and the entire Ott family.”
Ott made his major league debut in 1974 after being drafted out of Muncie High School in Muncie, Pennsylvania.
Ott’s best season was in 1979 when the Pirates won the World Series, and he played a key role in the Pirates’ title run.
Ott went 7-for-25 that postseason, helping the Pirates sweep the Reds in the NLCS, defeating the Orioles in seven games and winning the franchise’s fifth and most recent championship.
In seven seasons with the Pirates, he batted .267 with 409 hits and 31 home runs.
After the 1980 season, he was traded to the California Angels in a deal that sent Mickey Marler to the West Coast for Jason Thompson.
Ott played in 74 games for the Angels during the 1981 season, but was sidelined by injury and was out of the majors by 1982.
He spent time in the Angels’ minor league system until retiring in 1984.
Ott coached in the major leagues under manager Art Howe in Houston from 1989 to 1993 and was the bullpen coach in Detroit from 2001 to 2002.
