[1] Born in Delta, Colorado, Cottier graduated from Grand Junction High School, where he lettered in four sports – baseball, basketball, football and wrestling.

[1] Cottier was a good-fielding, light-hitting infielder during his nine-year big league playing career.

He appeared in 580 games and compiled a lifetime batting average of .220 with 348 hits, 63 doubles, 17 triples and 19 home runs with the Milwaukee Braves (1959–60), Detroit Tigers (1961), Washington Senators (1961–65) and California Angels (1968–69).

With the M's at 9–19, sixth in the AL West, Cottier was fired on May 8 and succeeded by interim manager Marty Martínez for one game before Dick Williams took over.

[6] Cottier also was a coach for the New York Mets (1979–81), Chicago Cubs (1988–94), Baltimore Orioles (1995) and Philadelphia Phillies (1997–2000);[7] he was a major league scout for the New York Yankees,[1] and a special assistant to the general manager for the Washington Nationals.