A tough catcher and respected leader for the Pittsburgh Pirates’ 1979 World Series champions, Ed Ott never missed a chance to celebrate a reunion with his old “We Are Family” teammates.
“It’s still a family. It doesn’t matter what ball field or city or country we’re in,” Ott said in July 2019 at PNC Park, when the Pirates honored the 40th anniversary of their last World Series team. “To be around the closest-knit 25 players is a thrill. The camaraderie and friendship we’ve had, we would’ve went to war for each other.”
The Pirates family lost one of the players who went to war with them when Ott died Sunday in Danville. Ott, who was 72, is survived by his wife, Sue, and daughter, Michelle.
“We are saddened by the loss of such a beloved member of the Pirates family,” team president Travis Williams said in a statement. “Ed spent seven of his eight years in the major leagues with the Pirates and was a valued member of our World Series championship team in 1979. It was great to see him last summer when he was in Pittsburgh to support former teammate Kent Tekulve at our Hall of Fame induction ceremony.”
Ott played for the Pirates from 1974-80 and had the best season of his career in 1979, when the Pirates beat the Baltimore Orioles in a seven-game series to win the world championship. The 5-foot-10, 190-pounder batted .273/.314/.385 with 20 doubles, two triples, seven home runs and 51 RBIs and a career-high .994 fielding percentage in 117 games. He posted a .333 batting average (4 for 12) with three RBIs in three World Series games.
Born in Muncy, Pa., where the high school didn’t have a baseball team, Ott played football and wrestled, which later helped him win on-field scuffles with takedowns and chokeholds. Ott played American Legion baseball in the summers, and the Pirates drafted him in the 23rd round in 1970 as a third baseman. He soon switched to the outfield before moving to catcher in 1974, with an eye on expediting his chances of moving up to the major leagues.
After spending a season teaching him the nuances of his new position, the Pirates promoted Ott in 1976 to be the third catcher behind Manny Sanguillen and Duffy Dyer. When Sanguillen was traded to the Oakland A’s before the 1977 season, Ott platooned with Dyer.
Ott was known for his toughness, and he wasn’t afraid of a fight. In a game against the New York Mets on Aug. 12, 1977 at Three Rivers Stadium, he slid hard into second baseman Felix Millan while trying to break up a double play. Millan took exception, shouting at Ott and hitting him with a baseball in his hand. Ott picked up Millan and slammed him into his knee, injuring Millan’s shoulder.
Ott also was durable. He played in 100-plus games for the Pirates in four consecutive seasons, including 1979 when he platooned with former first-round pick Steve Nicosia. With Tony Pena ready to take over in 1981, the Pirates traded Ott to the California Angels. He batted .217 and tore his rotator cuff, which required surgery that caused him to miss the 1982 season. He played first base in the minors in 1982-83 before retiring at the age of 32.
Ott later coached and managed in the minors for the Angels, Pirates and Cincinnati Reds before joining Art Howe’s staff as a coach for the Houston Astros from 1989-93. Ott also served as Detroit’s bullpen coach in 2001-02.
Kevin Gorman is a TribLive reporter covering the Pirates. A Baldwin native and Penn State graduate, he joined the Trib in 1999 and has covered high school sports, Pitt football and basketball and was a sports columnist for 10 years. He can be reached at kgorman@triblive.com.