Key Member of Pittsburgh Pirates' 1979 World Series Champion Team Dies at Age of 72
Ed Ott, who was a key member of the Pittsburgh Pirates World Series championship team in 1979, has passed away at the age of 72.
The team made the announcement on social media:
We are saddened today by the passing of Ed Ott.
A beloved member of the Pirates family, 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.
Our sincere condolences to his wife, Sue, daughter Michelle, and the entire Ott family.
All in all, Ott spent eight seasons in the big leagues with the Pirates and California Angels. He made his major league debut in 1974 and became a regular for the Pirates in 1977, playing in 104 games that year. In the championship season, he played in 117.
For his career he was a .259 hitter with a .311 on-base percentage. He hit 33 career home runs and drove in 195. He was a .280 career hitter in the playoffs. He had three RBI in the 1979 World Series against the Baltimore Orioles.
The team hasn't announced anything at this point, but it would stand to reason that they will honor Ott in some way during the 2024 season.
The Pirates finished fourth in the National League Central last season and are looking for a turnaround season this year. They've added veterans all over the field, bringing in Yasmani Grandal, Marco Gonzales, Martin Perez and Aroldis Chapman. They also re-signed Andrew McCutchen.
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