Lee Elia, who managed the Chicago Cubs and the Philadelphia Phillies in a professional baseball career that lasted more than 50 years as a coach and player, died Wednesday at the age of 87, the Phillies announced Thursday.
Elia, an infielder who signed with the Phillies in 1958, played for the Chicago White Sox and the Cubs during his brief playing career, hitting .203 with 3 home runs and 25 RBIs in 95 games over the 1966 and ’68 seasons.
Editor’s Picks
It was as a manager and coach where Elia made his mark. He landed his first managerial job in 1982 with the Cubs at age 44. In his two seasons with the Cubs, Elia went 127-158, but he was most remembered for his expletive-filled rant directed at Cubs fans just 19 games into the 1983 season.
He managed the Phillies during the 1987 and ’88 seasons, going 111-42.
During his long coaching career, he served as Philadelphia’s third base coach during the Phillies’ 1980 championship season.
“Affiliated with 10 different organizations throughout his distinguished career, he always considered himself a Phillie at heart,” the team posted on X.