Lee Elia, who managed the Philadelphia Phillies and Chicago Cubs for 2 seasons apiece however is maybe greatest identified for a profane postgame rant crucial of Chicago followers, died on Wednesday. He was 87.
The Phillies introduced his dying in a press release on Thursday, although they didn’t say the place he died or cite a trigger.
A center infielder who performed in elements of two seasons for the Chicago White Sox and the Cubs, Elia spent a number of years in quite a lot of teaching and scouting roles.
“The Phillies mourn the lack of Lee Elia, who managed the membership from 1987-88,” the Phillies stated of their assertion.
The staff added, “Elia, a former infielder, performed in 95 main league video games with the Chicago White Sox (1966) and Chicago Cubs (1968) earlier than managing the Cubs from 1982-83. Affiliated with 10 totally different organizations all through his distinguished profession, he all the time thought-about himself a Phillie at coronary heart.”
The staff famous that Elia was a Philadelphia native who signed with the Phillies in 1958. He was within the group on and off all through the a long time, together with as a minor league participant, supervisor, scout and director of instruction. He was the third-base coach for the Phillies staff that received the 1980 World Sequence.
Lee Elia stares at home-plate umpire Terry Tata after Tata ejected a Cub from the dugout on July 31, 1982. (Rusty Kennedy / Related Press)
Elia additionally served as a hitting coach, bench coach and particular assistant for the Seattle Mariners from 1993 to 1997, 2001 to 2002 and in 2008.
“Lee was particular,” Seattle supervisor Dan Wilson stated in a press release launched by the Mariners. “Baseball has misplaced a large. A terrific baseball man and a good higher human. He was like a father to me and taught me the way to be an enormous leaguer. Identified to most of us as Uncle Lee for his variety demeanor and the love he confirmed everybody. We’ll all miss him dearly.”
Although his managerial document was 238-300 throughout his time as skipper for the Cubs and Phillies, Elia left his mark with a postgame rant on April 29, 1983, after his Cubs misplaced 4-3 to the Los Angeles Dodgers. His ire was largely directed towards Cubs followers who attended video games at Wrigley Subject.
“As I’m strolling with my paperwork after a tricky loss, some fan will get throughout Keith Moreland,” Elia recalled to the New York Instances in 2016. “Moreland goes towards the stands a foot or two, and safety guards break it off. Then we stroll one other six or seven yards, the place the tarp is, and somebody says one thing to Larry Bowa. He jumps in there. There’s numerous shoving.”
In speaking to reporters after the sport, Elia strung collectively obscenities whereas criticizing the followers and their conduct. “He was simply sticking up for his gamers,” Joel Bierig, previously of The Chicago Solar-Instances and one of many few reporters current for the outburst, instructed The Athletic in 2023.
Elia stated that he wished the reminiscence of his profanity-laced tirade “would all go away,” but it surely grew to become a beloved chapter in baseball historical past.
“I do know it would by no means change,” Elia instructed an interviewer in 2008. “However I hope it’s slightly softened now. I hope there’s some warmness over it now. I hope they perceive.”
(High photograph: Deal with Sport by way of Getty Photographs)
