Lee Elia is very, very sorry
With next Tuesday being the 25th Anniversary of Lee Elia's now famous tirade - still one of my all-time favorites - apparently the former manager felt the need to do a little explaining.
Maybe he's mellowed with age, maybe it's a matter of getting a few things off his chest so he isn't remembered as a foul-mouthed lunatic or maybe Elia feels the need to make amends to some of the bleeping bleepers who finally got out and got a bleeping job for bleep's sake.
According to the Chicago Tribune:
"Lee Smith had just wild-pitched in the winning run," Elia recalled. "In those days, our locker room was all the way down the left-field line. As we got near the bullpen, I saw (Keith) Moreland and (Larry) Bowa involved with fans in the stands who had cursed them and then tossed beer. I saw that and realized we had to get them out of there before a real bad fight got going.
"So I come into the clubhouse, only a few minutes later, and my office is just a tiny space, very cramped. There are about six reporters, three from Los Angeles, and they start asking me about the bad start and how Cubs fans are reacting. Well, I just lost it—remembering how a few moments before someone was calling Moreland a fat redhead and Bowa a Pygmy shortstop. It just set me off."
Ah, to be back in the days when Wrigley Field was empty enough that the players could hear you heckle. Pygmy shortstop... that's just fantastic.
Also, totally by coincidence, Elia is selling a baseball with an audio chip that won't say what anyone wants it to say and thus, isn't much good to many people. Give the people what they want, Lee.
A cursing baseball is worth its weight in gold.
(Image from: SeattleWeekly.com)
Maybe he's mellowed with age, maybe it's a matter of getting a few things off his chest so he isn't remembered as a foul-mouthed lunatic or maybe Elia feels the need to make amends to some of the bleeping bleepers who finally got out and got a bleeping job for bleep's sake.According to the Chicago Tribune:
"Lee Smith had just wild-pitched in the winning run," Elia recalled. "In those days, our locker room was all the way down the left-field line. As we got near the bullpen, I saw (Keith) Moreland and (Larry) Bowa involved with fans in the stands who had cursed them and then tossed beer. I saw that and realized we had to get them out of there before a real bad fight got going.
"So I come into the clubhouse, only a few minutes later, and my office is just a tiny space, very cramped. There are about six reporters, three from Los Angeles, and they start asking me about the bad start and how Cubs fans are reacting. Well, I just lost it—remembering how a few moments before someone was calling Moreland a fat redhead and Bowa a Pygmy shortstop. It just set me off."
Ah, to be back in the days when Wrigley Field was empty enough that the players could hear you heckle. Pygmy shortstop... that's just fantastic.
Also, totally by coincidence, Elia is selling a baseball with an audio chip that won't say what anyone wants it to say and thus, isn't much good to many people. Give the people what they want, Lee.
A cursing baseball is worth its weight in gold.
(Image from: SeattleWeekly.com)
Labels: Cubs, history lessons
posted by Matt G at
2:18 PM
1 Comments:
Lee just had a bad day, like we all have every once in awhile. I admire the passion and that he stood up for his players. I see twenty-five years later, he has embraced this and is now doing something for charity. The website I saw was leeunplugged.
By
Anonymous, At
Tuesday, April 29, 2008 8:22:00 AM
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