Ed Ott

Nathan Edward Ott (July 11, 1951 – March 3, 2024), nicknamed "Otter", was an American professional baseball player, coach, and manager. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1974 to 1981 for the Pittsburgh Pirates and the California Angels. Ott was a member of the 1979 World Series champions with the Pirates. After his playing career, Ott was a coach for the Houston Astros and Detroit Tigers.

Early life Ott was born on July 11, 1951, He is not known to be related to Baseball Hall of Fame member Mel Ott. Although Muncy High School did not have a baseball team, Ott excelled at football and wrestling.

Professional career The Pittsburgh Pirates selected Ott in the 23rd round of the 1970 Major League Baseball draft. He was a left-handed batter and threw right-handed.

Ott began his professional baseball career in 1970 with the Niagara Falls Pirates of the New York-Pennsylvania League where his manager converted him into an outfielder. His performance earned him a promotion to the Triple-A Charleston Charlies in 1973. He was briefly promoted to the major leagues, making his debut with the Pirates on June 10, 1974, at the age of 22, before returning to play for Charleston.

The Pirates asked Ott to become a catcher during the 1974 season, and while he initially opposed the move, he eventually agreed as it presented him with the easiest path to return to the major leagues.

Ott made the Pirates major league roster as third-string catcher in 1976, backing up Manny Sanguillén and Duffy Dyer. The Pirates traded Sanguillen to the Oakland Athletics before the 1977 season, and new Pirates manager Chuck Tanner installed Ott into a platoon role alongside Dyer.

Known as a tough, no-nonsense player, Ott was a former Muncy High School star wrestler who was not afraid to use those skills on a baseball diamond. In an August 12, , game against the New York Mets, Ott slid hard into Mets' second baseman Felix Millán trying to break up a double play. The incident effectively ended Millan's MLB playing career. He won the National League Player of the Week Award for the week of September 3 and, his batting average improved to .269.

Ott platooned with catcher Steve Nicosia in 1979, and had his best season with a .273 batting average along with 7 home runs, 51 runs batted in and a career-high .994 fielding percentage, second only to Gene Tenace among National League catchers. Led by future Hall of Fame member, Willie Stargell, the Pirates won the National League Eastern Division pennant, then defeated the Cincinnati Reds in the 1979 National League Championship Series, before winning the 1979 World Series against the Baltimore Orioles. Ott, who was known to be a team clubhouse leader, was solid during the seven-game World Series posting a .333 batting average along with 3 runs batted in to help lift the Pirates to their fifth World Series Championship.

With young catcher Tony Peña ready to take over the catching duties, the Pirates traded Ott to the California Angels in April 1981 with Mickey Mahler for Jason Thompson. Ott had a down year in 1981, batting just .217. Ott tore his rotator cuff and underwent surgery, causing him to miss the entire 1982 season. Ott later served as a bullpen coach for the Detroit Tigers (2001–2002).

In February 1997, Ott became the first manager of the Allentown Ambassadors of the Northeast League and later the Northern League of Independent Professional Baseball. Ott was named manager of the Sussex Skyhawks of the Canadian-American Association of Professional Baseball for the 2010 season. A former resident of Forest, Virginia, at the time of his death Ott resided back in his home state of Montgomery, Pennsylvania Ott was a past pitching coach for the New Jersey Jackals of the Canadian-American Association of Professional Baseball.

Later life and death Ott had a daughter Michelle. He died suddenly in Danville, Pennsylvania, on March 3, 2024, at the age of 72.