25th Anniversary Of Lee Elia Cubs Tirade (NSFW)

(NSFW LANGUAGE!)


Here's Background on the Lee Elia Tirade from Cubs.com:

"Elia was the Cubs' manager on April 29, 1983, and his team was playing host to the Los Angeles Dodgers in front of 9,391 fans at Wrigley Field. The Cubs led, 2-0, but the Dodgers rallied, and the two teams were tied at 3 going into the eighth inning.

Ken Landreaux doubled to lead off and advanced on a fly ball by Dusty Baker. Then Cubs closer Lee Smith entered the game. He threw a wild pitch, and Landreaux scored the game-winning run.

As Elia and the Cubs were walking off the field, Keith Moreland and Larry Bowa got into a shoving match with some fans. With the loss, the team had dropped to 5-14. The reporters were waiting for Elia in his office, and the Cubs' manager went ballistic.

For slightly more than three minutes, Elia sounded off. Here's a partial version: "Eighty-five percent of the people in this country work. The other 15 percent come here and boo my players. They oughta go and get a job and find out what it's like to go out and earn a living."

Les Grobstein, then the sports director for WLS Radio in Chicago, taped the tirade and had it on the air at 4:55 p.m. CT that day. It might have been broadcast sooner, but it took some time to bleep all the obscenities.

Elia didn't realize what he had done until general manager Dallas Green called him up to his office to hear the tape. One of the beat writers had called Green to get his reaction. Elia wasn't fired immediately, but he was let go a few months later.

That was 25 years ago. On Monday, Elia was in Chicago to mark the 25th anniversary of his famous meltdown. And he now has a positive message for Cubs fans. Elia has teamed with Chicago Baseball Cancer Charities and memorabilia company A & R Collectibles to produce a 20-second recording that professes his love for Cubs fans.

Fans can purchase the display case with the audio message, plus a baseball autographed by Elia that also has, "And print it," for $89.95. For more information, fans can visit www.Leeunplugged.com. Ten percent of the sale will go to the charity.

And Elia's new message?

"I'll tell you one thing -- it's time the Cubs get hotter than hell this season and [stick it to] the rest of the baseball world," Elia said. "The 40,000 fans who fill this ballpark every day and work hard for a living are no nickel dimers. They deserve a championship. They're real Chicago Cubs fans. And print it."

Now 70, Elia said his tirade and the backlash from it bothered him for some time. "

Haha! Funny stuff from Lee Elia! Even though I am a Cubs fan, this tirade by Lee Elia makes me laugh. This reminds me of another famous meltdown (Again NSFW):