Lee Elia Tirade - Chicago Cubs - 4/29/83

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LEE ELIA TIRADE Elia's outburst occurred on April 29, 1983, after the Cubs suffered a one-run home loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The rant took place during a postgame session with reporters in his office. Elia was pissed off at the continual booing by the Wrigley crowd (both during and after the game) and frustrated that no one could see beyond the Cubs' 5-14 record for any of the progress he felt the team was making. The fact that Elia's rant has been preserved for posterity is something of a miracle. In the early 80s, "baseball reporters didn't work with tape recorders. But radio guys certainly did. So it was that Elia's outburst came to be a part of the public domain." Les Grobstein, aka "ubiquitous" Les, was lurking on the edges of Elia's office, with tape rolling. For Grobstein, graduate of Chicago's Von Stuben High School, "it was his Zapruder moment." Elia commented that he dearly wished Grobstein "had gotten a flat tire on his way to Wrigley that afternoon." Elia clearly regrets his ourburst. "I made some comments that I don't even know how they came out of my mouth, because they were not comments that I normally would make. Never in my wildest dreams did I think somebody would run out of there and put it on the air." 1983 turned out to be Elia's final year as the Cubs' manager. Many have argued that Grobstein's tape sealed upper management's decision to fire Elia. Grobstein heartily disagrees. He commented recently that "the tirade and my tape did not get Lee Elia fired - the team starting to suck again did." Whatever the case, the tirade is now 25 years old, solidly entrenched in the firmament of baseball lore...and is TOTALLY AWESOME. Enjoy.

Channel: Entertainment
Uploaded: October 21, 2006 at 7:51 pm
Author: gadushoon

Length: 0:03:11
Rating: 4.77
Views: 344,997

Tags: lee elia chicago cubs tirade press conference dodgers april 29 1983 wrigley field bleacher bums baseball

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Video Comments:
CliffordBillBecker (Thursday 13th of November 2008 04:30:47 PM)
Can you buy a text copy of this tirade anywhere?
Sincopare (Monday 10th of November 2008 11:55:01 PM)
"85 percent of the f*ckin world works..." Nowadays, it's probably more like 60%. This has got to be the best tutorial for swearing available. Should be sold by ROSETTA STONE.
nkaebisch (Wednesday 5th of November 2008 02:50:40 PM)
It's gonna Happen. Yea Right. GO CREW!
rimrida777 (Friday 31st of October 2008 09:25:46 AM)
Sounds like vintage 1980's FBI or DEA surveilance!!!!!!!! XD XD XD XD XD XD
ballsmccoy (Friday 31st of October 2008 08:51:04 AM)
LMAO, the mullet family was so random!
Garvarino (Wednesday 29th of October 2008 10:41:35 AM)
"The cocksuckers dont even have a job" !!! Hahahah..... absolute classic,,, Love ya Lee
MPDLR (Wednesday 29th of October 2008 08:34:18 AM)
Not a baseball fan here. But this makes me laugh until tears come out.
Crabitat (Tuesday 28th of October 2008 07:09:25 PM)
Post a video of your naked mom and we will judge.
grandpalarsen (Tuesday 28th of October 2008 07:34:02 PM)
"Judge" suggests intelligence. No dice for you, pal.
STU676 (Tuesday 28th of October 2008 05:56:36 PM)
i hope we get hotter than shit