PITTSBURGH (AP) — Ed Ott, a former major league catcher and coach who helped the Pittsburgh Pirates win the 1979 World Series, died Sunday. He was 72. Ott died in the central Pennsylvania town of Danville, according to the Pirates. No further details were provided by the team. “We are saddened by the loss of such a beloved member of the Pirates family,” Pirates 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.” Ott, a Muncy native, was selected by Pittsburgh in the 23rd round of the 1970 amateur draft out of high school. He batted .259 with 33 homers and 195 RBIs in 567 Major League Baseball games.
Ott and Steve Nicosia were the Pirates’ primary catchers when they won it all in 1979. Ott batted.273 with seven home runs and a career-high 51 RBIs in 117 regular-season games that year. He played three World Series games against Baltimore, going 4 for 12 with three RBIs.
Ott participated in his final major league game for the Angels in 1981. Following his playing career, he worked as a minor league coach with the Angels, Pirates, and Reds before joining big league staffs with the Astros and Tigers.
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