Late radio icon “Grobber” was part of Chicago Cubs history

Chicago sports fans mourned the loss of radio icon Les Grobstein on Monday, who passed away Sunday night at the age of 69. “Grobber” as he was known by his colleagues and fans, had been a part of Chicago broadcasting for decades and is remembered for how he entertained so many people who listened to overnight sports radio. His ability to dig out Chicago sports memories and stats on the fly brought a lot of joy to fans and he could tell you exactly where he was when something happened. While probably being known best for his Chicago Bears stories, Grobber had plenty of connection to the Chicago Cubs.

Les Grobstein’s lengthy history with the Chicago Cubs

If there is one thing Cubs fans should remember about Grobber, it should be where he was on April 29, 1983. The team was struggling (big shocker there) and after yet another loss, the fans at Wrigley Field expressed their displeasure. Cubs manager Lee Elia was giving comments to reporters when he lost his temper and went on a very explicit rant toward the fans. The audio of this infamous rant, which can be heard in full on YouTube, was recorded by Grobstein while he was with WSCR.

"“The [explicit] don’t even work! That’s why they’re out at the [explicit] game!”"

This will go down as one of the most memorable interviews in Cubs history. It was the perfect way to sum up the decades of futility the team had suffered during that era. Grobstein was not one to hold back playing those audio clips, even when members of the Cubs did not like it. In fact, Grobstein gave the tape of the rant to Bob Ibach, who was the team’s public relations guy, who gave it to GM Dallas Green. This prompted a meeting with Elia and Green and eventually him apologizing to the fans on the air on Jack Brickhouse’s radio program.

For many decades he covered the top Cubs stories, as he did for all the other Chicago teams. He could talk about random losses to the Mets in 1977, to the heartbreak of the 1984 NLCS. He finally got to cover a World Series-winning team in 2016, though that did not stop the hot takes from coming into his radio show overnight. However, even with all the countless stories Grobstein had with the Cubs, nothing will be remembered more than the Elia tirade he recorded.

Grobstein is going to be missed. Chicago sports fans have a very special place in their hearts for him, he was like your fun goofy uncle you loved to talk sports with. He was at it for over 50 years, creating many memories. Rest in peace, Lester Grobstein.