Rays tales

EXPLETIVE REPEATED: At the time, it was simply shocking, perhaps the most profane postgame tirade ever heard.

But with the passage of time, 20 years come Tuesday, it has become something more, a cult classic that is passed around the Internet, a key part of Cubs lore and, yes, even something to smile about.

Lee Elia, the new Rays hitting coach, was having a bad day April 29, 1983. The Cubs he was managing had just lost again, dropping to 5-14, and in cruel fashion on a raw afternoon. The Wrigley Field regulars weren't happy, and as the Cubs trekked to the old clubhouse in the leftfield corner, two players had to be restrained from confrontations with debris-throwing fans.

In Elia's office, the pointed, negative questions started to fly. Suddenly, the expletives did, too. And thanks to a radio reporter who kept his tape recorder running, Elia's life was changed forever.

Excerpts of his three-minute trashing of the fans, especially these two, have became legendary:

"I'll tell you one (expletive) thing, I hope we get (expletive) hotter than (expletive) just to stuff it up them 3,000 (expletive) people that show up every (expletive) day. Because if they're the real Chicago (expletive) fans, they can kiss my (expletive) right downtown, and PRINT IT! ...

"Eighty-five percent of the (expletive) world's working and the other 15 come out here, a (expletive) playground for the (expletive). Rip them (expletive). Rip them country (expletive) like the (expletive) players."

Elia is 65 now, and he kind of sighs when the subject is brought up. It was tough at the time, somewhat embarrassing, and a factor in his firing later in the season. Despite 42 years in the game, he's known by some for only those 460-or-so words.

"I made some comments that I don't even know how they came out of my mouth, because they were not comments I normally would make," Elia said. "Never in my wildest dreams did I think somebody would run out of there and put it on the air."

When Elia goes back to Chicago (the Rays play the Cubs on June 3-5), he occasionally hears a rebroadcast and always gets a warm welcome.

"I think there's a little bit of a Lee Elia fan base up there," he said. "I guess after 20 years you can look back and say a lot of good has come out of it, a lot of fun has been made out of me. ...

"No matter where I go I couldn't be treated any better. People come up to me and they say, "Hey Lee, how you doing? I'm a working Cubs fan,' or something like that. So, in a way, it's kind of nice. If I could, I'd wish it didn't happen. But since it did ... "

YOU DON'T SAY "Hopefully we're through for the year."

- LOU PINIELLA, manager, after putting three players on the disabled list

BIG NUMBER 15: Players who made their Devil Rays debut this season.