CHICAGO — Les Grobstein, a longtime Chicago sports radio reporter and talk show host who recorded Lee Elia's famous profanity-filled postgame rant about Cubs fans, has died.
He was 69 years old. WSCR-AM reported that Grobstein died at his home on Sunday. No reason given.
Grobstein had been the station's overnight host since 2009. The location suited him because of his reliance on callers and his willingness to listen and engage hardcore fans in lengthy discussions. "The Grober" also had knowledge of the Chicago games.
He was at Wrigley Field on April 29, 1983, when Elia - then Cubs manager - split from fans of the team after losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The crowd threw garbage at Keith Moreland and Larry Bova as they made their way from the dugout to the clubhouse.
The 4–3 defeat reduced the Cubs to 5–14 and Elia's dismay spilled over into a protracted fight, which Grobstein captured on his tape recorder. Full of slang, Elia said 85% "The world is working. Get the other 15 out of here.
To this day, clips of Elia's salty rant are replayed on sports shows when memorable arrows are mentioned.
A Chicago native who attended Columbia College, Grobstein began as a Northwestern basketball commentator in 1970 and established himself as a fixture on the city's sports scene over the next five-plus decades.
Grobstein called games for various teams and worked on several radio stations and called in scores and citations for outlets including the Associated Press.