We Are Family only: RIP, Ed Ott

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 dick on his page.

 

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

 

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.

 

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.

 

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

 

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

Met fans don’t forget.

 

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.

 

For the earlier conversation about MAGA, I also found that with another player from that team, Jim Rooker. I haven’t looked in a long time but when Obama was president, his Twitter feed was all about how he was a socialist, etc. And Rooker was supposedly a children’s author, too.

RIP nevertheless to Ott. Great catcher’s name. I love that 79 series. Both he and Nicosia were solid defenders but not all that great when at bat.

 

One other thing too. I follow Omar Moreno on X and was pleased to see that he is still married to his wife all these years later. If you’ve ever seen replays of that series, the cameras were on her and the other wives quite a bit throughout. She was one that blew a whistle all the time.

 

That was a watershed moment for annoying fukcing TV sports.

 

Couldn’t agree more.
“Here’s Ken Singleton at the plate … and here is Mrs. Singleton.” Rinse, lather, repeat, for seven games.
Mrs Foli and Mrs Palmer were high up on the attractive meter and were shown quite a bit. Mrs Nicosia? One and done.