The world of baseball is mourning the loss of one of its most colorful characters Lee Elia after his death was announced a week shy of his 88th birthday.
Elia was a World Series champion coach with the Philadelphia Phillies and a former player and manager across a host of Major League baseball teams.
His death was announced on X by the Philadelphia Phillies, who released a statement which reads: ‘The Phillies mourn the loss of Lee Elia, who managed the club from 1987-88. He passed away on July 9 just shy of his 88th birthday.
‘The Phillies extend their condolences to Lee’s widow Priscilla and the entire Elia family at this difficult time.’
Elia is perhaps most famous for his iconic, and expletive-laden, 1983 rant while he was manager of the Chicago Cubs, in which he took aim at the team’s fans in a remarkable way.
While there is no video footage of the incident, a single microphone in the room recorded the monologue, which has been quoted by baseball fans for over 30 years since.
WARNING: EXTREMELY STRONG LANGUAGE
Lee Elia, pictured at a Phillies alumni night in 2010, has died just shy of his 88th birthday
He is perhaps most famous for an iconic rant about Chicago Cubs fans back in 1983
Elia celebrates with Ken Griffey Jr in the locker room after the Mariners won the AL West in 97
‘I’ll tell you one f***in’ thing,’ he began. ‘I hope we get f***in’ hotter than s**t just to stuff it up them three thousand f***in’ people that show up every f***in’ day. Because if they’re the real Chicago f***in fans, they can kiss my f***in’ a**, right Downtown, and print it!
‘They’re really, really behind you around here? My f***in’ ass! What … what the f*** am I supposed to do? Go out there and let my f***in’ players get destroyed every day, and be quiet about it? For the f***in’ nickel/dime people that show up? The motherf***ers don’t even work!
‘That’s why they’re out at the f***in’ game! They ought to get a f***in’ job and find out what it’s like to go out and earn a f***in’ living. Eighty-five percent of the f***in’ world is working. The other fifteen come out here.
‘A f***in’ playground for the c**ksuckers. Rip them motherf***ers! Rip those country c**ksuckers, like the f***in’ players! We’ve got guys bustin’ their f***in’ asses and those f***in’ people boo … and that’s the Cubs? My f***in’ a**!’
On X, fans immediately began to pay tribute to the former player, manager and coach, with one claiming that the game has lost its ‘most colorful character.’
Baseball reporter Bob Nightengale called him ‘one of the game’s great characters’, while a fan added: ‘You will always be remembered for your classic rant.’
