The Big Lead

MLB news: Lee Elia dies; his famous rant will live on forever

In 1983, the Chicago Cubs' manager laid into fans in a profanity-laced tirade that still inspires awe to this day.

By J.P. Hoornstra

Seattle Mariners bench coach Lee Elia (55) before the game against the Oakland Athletics at McAfee Coliseum in Oakland on July 8, 2008.
Seattle Mariners bench coach Lee Elia (55) before the game against the Oakland Athletics at McAfee Coliseum in Oakland on July 8, 2008. / Kyle Terada-Imagn Images
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Lee Elia passed away on Wednesday. A baseball lifer, Elia played 95 games in the 1960s for the Chicago Cubs and White Sox. After retiring as a player, he served in a variety of roles for 10 different organizations as a coach, advisor and, famously, a manager.

Elia's teams never won; he was 127-158 in two years with the Cubs and 111-142 in two years with the Phillies. In both instances, he was fired and never worked for either organization again.

No one knew how to burn a bridge the way Elia did on April 29, 1983.

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After the Cubs lost for the 14th time in 19 games, Elia went on a profanity-laced rant against the team's fans.

"I'll tell you one f---ing thing, I hope we get f---ing hotter than s---, just to stuff it up them 3,000 f---ing people that show up every f---ing day, because if they're the real Chicago f---ing fans, they can kiss my f---ing ass right downtown and print it," began the monologue.

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Elia was just getting warmed up.

"They’re really, really behind you around here… my f---ing ass," he said. "What the f--- am I supposed to do, go out there and let my f---ing players get destroyed every day and be quiet about it? For the f---ing nickel-dime people who turn up? The m---f---ers don’t even work. That’s why they’re out at the f---ing game. They oughta go out and get a f---ing job and find out what it’s like to go out and earn a f---ing living. Eighty-five percent of the f---ing world is working. The other fifteen percent come out here."

Elia apologized for his comments afterward.

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