Former Major League Baseball player and manager Lee Elia According to announcements from multiple teams, he died Wednesday. He is 87 years old.
Elia is a Philadelphia native who signed with his hometown club after attending the University of Delaware in 1959. His career is not eye-catching. He briefly arrived at the pro with the Bears and the White Sox and reached .203 in 95 games. He moved into the coach after spending part of his 12 seasons in the minor league. Elia has had a long and successful run in coaching.
In 1980, he won the World Series as a third base coach under Captain Dallas Green. Green was hired by the Cubs as general manager for the 1982 season. He hired Elia to manage in Chicago. Elia held a season-and-a-half position and the team scored a 127-158 record before being fired. His tenure is the most memorable one, a vibrant Tirade torn Cubs fans who expressed displeasure at the team’s slow start to the 83 season.
Elia received another brief management opportunity late in the decade. He returned to Philadelphia and managed the club 111-142 in parts of the 1987-88 season. Elia has never held a major event since, but has worked in Scouts and various coaching abilities throughout his career with the Yankees, Mariners, Blue Jays, Dodgers, Devil Rays, Braves, Braves and Orioles. MLBTR joined others throughout the game, expressing condolences to Elia’s family, loved ones, and many baseball friends and former colleagues.
