Lee Elia, Former Major League Manager, Dies at 87

Steve Berman, The Athletic:

Lee Elia, who managed the Philadelphia Phillies and Chicago Cubs for two seasons apiece but is perhaps best known for a profane postgame rant critical of Chicago fans, died on Wednesday. He was 87. The Phillies announced his death in a statement on Thursday, though they did not say where he died or cite a cause. [...]

The team noted that Elia was a Philadelphia native who signed with the Phillies in 1958. He was in the organization on and off throughout the decades, including as a minor league player, manager, scout and director of instruction. He was the third-base coach for the Phillies team that won the 1980 World Series.

You’ll never hear a better example of how to talk like a Philadelphian than Elia’s famed 1983 rant, after the Cubs opened the season 5-14. Earmuffs for any (non-Philadelphian) children in the room.

★ Monday, 14 July 2025