Former Pirates catcher Ed Ott died on Sunday, the team confirmed. 

Ott was 72. 

He had been selected 23rd overall by Pittsburgh during the 1970 June draft and went on to make a sizable impact on the organization as a clubhouse leader and hard-nosed player on the field. 

“We are saddened by the loss of such a beloved member of the Pirates family,” Pirates President Travis Williams said. “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.

“Our sincere condolences to his wife, Sue, daughter Michelle, and the entire Ott family.”

After being drafted out of Muncy High School in Muncy, Pennsylvania, Ott made his big league debut in 1974. 

Ott’s best season came in 1979, the year the Pirates won the World Series and he played a key role in helping them win the title. 

Ott went 7-for-25 during that postseason run, which saw the Pirates sweep the Reds in the NLCS and then defeat the Orioles in seven games to capture the organization’s fifth and most recent championship. 

He hit .267 in his seven seasons with the Pirates and had 409 hits and 31 home runs. 

He was traded to the California Angels after the 1980 season in a deal that also sent Mickey Mahler to the West Coast for Jason Thompson.

Ott appeared in 74 games for the Angels for the 1981 season, but injuries forced him to miss time and he also was out of the majors by 1982. 

He spent time in the Angels minor league system before retiring in 1984. 

Ott was a big league coach in Houston under manager Art Howe from 1989-93 and served as a bullpen coach from 2001-02 in Detroit.