Legendary Baseball Manager Lee Elia, Famous for Fiery Rant, Passes Away at 87—The Untold Story Emerges

The rant took on a life of its own, with Les Grobstein, one of the reporters present, telling the Seattle Times in 2008, “I can guarantee you it was on every continent on the planet within a week.” Elia reportedly “just barely” kept his job in the aftermath and was let go months later once the Cubs slipped out of contention.

Years later, Elia told the Times that he accepted the rant was part of his legacy:

“I know it will never change,” he said. “I know I’ll always be one of those guys remembered for the tirade. But I hope it’s a little softened now. I hope there’s some warmness over it now. I hope they understand.”

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