"Joe Lonnett was a confident, enthusiastic, and modest man who considered himself one of the luckiest people in the field of professional sports. He was third base coach and catching coach for the Pittsburgh Pirates, when they winning world championships. Joe downplayed the key role that his 30 years in baseball played in the Pirates' success. His long experience and keen judgment helped him preside over the vital running game of the Bucs. And his experience as a catcher in both the major and minor leagues has helped in the development of the Pirates’ two outstanding young catchers, Ed Ott and Steve Nicosia. The Beaver Falls native began his professional baseball career in 1947 with a Cincinnati Reds farm club and was in the Philadelphia Phillies system from 1948 to 1970 as a minor league player and manager and as a catcher with the Phillies in the 1958-1959 seasons, and also scouted for the Phillies from 1963 to 1970. Joe was with Manager Chuck Tanner since 1971 with the Chicago White Sox, Oakland Athletics, and Pittsburgh Pirates." - Beaver County Sports Hall of Fame (Alex Scassa, 'Class of 1980', Source)