Iconic MLB Manager, World Series Champion Dead At 87

A beloved former baseball player, coach and manager who also won a World Series has sadly passed away.

On Wednesday, former Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies manager Lee Elia passed away. He was 87 years old and just one week away from his birthday.

Born in Philadelphia, Elia spent the better part of 40 years in Major League Baseball. He played two years for the Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox, two years as the Cubs manager and two years as the Phillies manager.

But Elia found the most success as a coach for no less than seven ball clubs between 1980 and 2008. In 1980, his first year as a third-base coach for the Phillies, he got to taste his first and only World Series title as he helped the team win the championship that year.

"The Phillies mourn the loss of Lee Elia, who managed the club from 1987-88. He passed away on July 9 just shy of his 88th birthday," the Phillies announced in a statement. 

"A Philadelphia native and graduate of Olney High School, he signed with the Phillies in September 1958 after attending the University of Delaware. Elia was a valued contributor to the Phillies for much of his half century in professional baseball. The third base coach for the 1980 World Series championship team, he also spent time in the organization as a minor league player, manager, scout and director of instruction...

"The Phillies extend their condolences to Lee's widow Priscilla and the entire Elia family at this difficult time."