Lee Elia

Lee Constantine Elia (/ˈiːliə/; July 16, 1937 – July 9, 2025) was an American professional baseball infielder, manager, and coach in Major League Baseball (MLB). After being drafted by his hometown Philadelphia Phillies, Elia spent seven years in the minor leagues, playing a mixture of shortstop and third base, before reaching the majors with the Chicago White Sox in 1966 and the Chicago Cubs in 1968. His playing career was cut short by knee injuries.

Elia moved into coaching and management after his playing career concluded. After initially working alongside manager Jim Bunning, Elia moved into management himself, working his way up the Phillies' minor league system. He was named third base coach for the Phillies, and was part of the coaching staff that won the 1980 World Series. He took his first major league managerial role with the Cubs in 1982 as they looked to rebuild. His time in Chicago is particularly remembered for a profanity-laden tirade attacking the team's fans and local media in his second year at the helm; he lost his job later that season.

After returning to the Phillies organization in a variety of coaching roles, he was named manager of their major league team in 1987. He was fired after a losing season the following year. He returned to coaching roles thereafter, serving on the staffs of the Phillies, New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Baltimore Orioles, and Seattle Mariners. Later in life, Elia was a special assistant with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves.