We Are Family only: RIP, Ed Ott

[maumann]

Ed Ott – Society for American Baseball Research

Longtime Pirates catcher. Got the starting job when Charlie Finley demanded Manny Sanguillen and money for Chuck Tanner. Never hit 10 homers in any of his big-league seasons, but hit .333 against the Orioles in the 1979 World Series.

 

[BTExpress]

Much better name for print headlines than U.L. Washington.

 

[MTM]

Ott and U.L, two of the great names from my youth.
RIP gentlemen.

 

[goalmouth]

Met him when he was coaching the Jackals, totally good guy.

 

[Ookpik]

"Shortest name in baseball."

RIP.

 

[X-Hack]

He was a huge MAGA, at least his FB persona -- I have an occasional diversion of pulling out old baseball cards and looking at their FB profiles, which too many of them keep public. Ellis Valentine seems like a hell of a guy -- one I would really love to meet. As does Omar Moreno. But most of the white guys (Milt Wilcox is a pretty notable exception) are MAGA to the core and they REALLY hate Obama and Biden and REALLY REALLY hate student loan forgiveness and Adam Schiff. Gary Roenicke, Darrell Evans, Pete O'Brien and umpire John Hirschbeck are particularly unhinged.

Still, I'm sure Ed was a decent guy in person. RIP. Duffy Dyer and Steve Nicosia survive.

 

[goalmouth]

Well then it's a good thing they're ****in g dying off.

 

[X-Hack]

Well then it's a good thing they're ****in g dying off.

This made me want to cry (event hosted by Darrell Evans that he was publicizing. I knew what he was about. But Alan Trammell? There has to be an explanation...).

It does give me a chuckle that they couldn't get a bigger baseball celebrity than Jim Wohlford to round things out (his 1979 Topps card photo gave me nightmares as a little kid). But Tram throwing in with the likes of Andy Biggs and Kari Lake? It has to just be a favor to an old friend, right? RIGHT?

 

[goalmouth]

Quick! While they're all in one place!

 

[BYH 2: Electric Boogaloo]

That's Alan Tramell. He flamed out after a few weeks in rookie ball.

 

[Shropshire Slasher]

I didn't know Darrell Evans was a righty hitter.

And Trammell with two Ms.

 

[BYH 2: Electric Boogaloo]

It's not surprising how far right most MLBers are, but it's still sorta depressing. You'd think being in a melting pot would make then less MAGA, but apparently not.

 

[X-Hack]

It's not surprising how far right most MLBers are, but it's still sorta depressing. You'd think being in a melting pot would make then less MAGA, but apparently not.

I'm not really surprised -- especially among those who played in the 70s and 80s. Boomer jocks disproportionately from the Sunbelt and rural areas in the Deep South, California, Pennsylvania, etc., who -- back then -- likely didn't go to college, probably didn't read much (preferring hunting, fishing and golf) and weren't really all that curious about how other people live (other than to judge them). Still, they had Black teammates and teammates from the Caribbean. You wonder how many of them ever talked about anything or asked about their lives or upbringings beyond baseball. I'm imagining not all that many. But Ott also seemed to have a good relationship with teammates from a different background like Stargell, Moreno and Parker so who knows if it's just that in retirement they always have Fox News blaring and they're listening to Patriot Radio in their Suburban or Silverado when they're towing their boat around or headed to the golf course and it's melted their brains.

But it's younger guys too. Kelly Gruber (older than me but younger than them) comes off as a real **** on his page.

 

[Baron Scicluna]

Along with Ray Guy, in the Short Name Hall of Fame. RIP

 

[BYH 2: Electric Boogaloo]

I'm not really surprised -- especially among those who played in the 70s and 80s. Boomer jocks disproportionately from the Sunbelt and rural areas in the Deep South, California, Pennsylvania, etc., who -- back then -- likely didn't go to college, probably didn't read much (preferring hunting, fishing and golf) and weren't really all that curious about how other people live (other than to judge them). Still, they had Black teammates and teammates from the Caribbean. You wonder how many of them ever talked about anything or asked about their lives or upbringings beyond baseball. I'm imagining not all that many. But Ott also seemed to have a good relationship with teammates from a different background like Stargell, Moreno and Parker so who knows if it's just that in retirement they always have Fox News blaring and they're listening to Patriot Radio in their Suburban or Silverado when they're towing their boat around or headed to the golf course and it's melted their brains.

But it's younger guys too. Kelly Gruber (older than me but younger than them) comes off as a real **** on his page.

It's retirees younger than that and the active players too. It was newsworthy when Mark Canha was playing for the Mets and interested in living in NYC w/his family & supporting the LGBQ community. Mike Piazza appeared at Trump rallies in 2020. The Nationals couldn't suck up enough to Trump after winning it all in 2019. There is still that mix of disinterest amongst guys who didn't go to college and/or have been laser-focused on making the big leagues from the time they were eight.

 

[DanOregon]

More players dabbling in college these days. But when you think of baseball - it isn't that much of a team game. Lot of Giants "God Squadders" there. And for such a liberal bastion, that organization has skewed pretty hard right since moving West.

 

[BYH 2: Electric Boogaloo]

More players dabbling in college these days. But when you think of baseball - it isn't that much of a team game. Lot of Giants "God Squadders" there. And for such a liberal bastion, that organization has skewed pretty hard right since moving West.

The west coast comment reminded me of Keith Hernandez...smart, erudite guy, union hawk as a player, spent decades living in the heart of Manhattan, yet as right-wing as it gets. His Twitter went private after he questioned Fauci and he appeared on Tucker Carlson's podcast. I don't know if it's as simple as their tax bracket, or, as X-Hack noted, just these guys being prime target of the Fox News ecosystem.

 

[DanOregon]

They're dumb to begin with, then rich, so they think they are smarter. Its not just that some of these guys are conservative, but they are whacked out MAGA types. But then you get this....Other than Sean Doolittle, I can't think of many baseball players that at least seemed left of center.


Bay Area baseball legends endorse Barbara Lee — Barbara Lee for U.S. Senate

 

[matt_garth]

Ott body slammed Felix Millan after an incident at second base in 1977, pretty much ending his career.

Met fans don’t forget.

 

[Shropshire Slasher]

Ott, Nicosia and Peña were an interesting combo to watch with the Bucs. Kind of interesting too how the Bucs shipped Peña to the Cardinals basically a year after trading Ott after Peña won the catching job.