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BOSTON (AP) - Red Sox manager Grady Little will not be back next year, paying the price for his decision to stick with Pedro Martinez in Game 7 of the AL championship series.
The Red Sox let Little go on Monday, less than two weeks after Boston blew a chance to play in the World Series when its ace couldn't hold a lead against the New York Yankees.
The Florida Marlins beat the Yankees in the Series that wrapped up Saturday, ending baseball's embargo on major moves and freeing the Red Sox to cut Little loose.
Little's contract expires Friday, and the team decided not to exercise its 2004 option.
Team president Larry Lucchino said team officials notified Little of the decision in a telephone conversation Monday morning.
``He took it very well,'' Lucchino said. ``He was very gracious. There was no anger or raised voices. On the contrary, he thanked us for the opportunity he had been given to manage the Red Sox and to manage in the big leagues.''
Among the names mentioned as possible successors are Jim Fregosi, Bud Black, Glenn Hoffman, Charlie Manuel and Jerry Remy.
The Red Sox won 93 and 95 games in Little's two years as manager, reaching the playoffs this year for the first time since 1999. They lost the first two games against Oakland, then swept three straight to advance to the ALCS, and Little's job seemed secure.
The Yankees took a 3-2 lead in the Series as it headed back to New York, and Little seemed to be making all of the right moves.
He left struggling Nomar Garciaparra alone, and the shortstop snapped out of his slump with four hits in Game 6, helping force a seventh game. And, because Little chose not to use Martinez on short rest, he had his ace available for the decisive game.
Boston staked Martinez to a 4-0 lead, and he led 5-2 in the eighth. Even after Little came out to talk to Martinez, he left him in rather than trust the lead to the bullpen that struggled all year before finding some consistency in the playoffs.
The Yankees tied it off Martinez in the eighth, then won the game and the series in the 11th on Aaron Boone's homer off Tim Wakefield.
``There's no reason to blame Grady,'' Martinez said. ``Grady doesn't play the game, I do. If you want to judge me or curse me or whatever, I will swallow that, because I am responsible.''
Two days later, Little defended the decision to stick with his ace.
``If people want to judge Grady Little on the results of a decision I made in that last game the other day, so be it,'' he said in his Fenway Park office. ``In my heart, I know we had a great season here.''
Although publicly commending Little's work in keeping the clubhouse together, the Red Sox delayed an announcement on Little's future while angry Red Sox fans called for his job. Team officials insisted that their choice did not hinge on the one decision.
``The decision to make a change resulted from months of thought about that long term direction (of the team),'' Lucchino said.
General manager Theo Epstein is known to rely more on statistical analysis in assessing players and matchups than Little, who often used his instincts in making decisions. Owner John Henry is also in the statistical analysis camp.
``We all have different backgrounds, different access to the clubhouse and different perspectives to the game,'' Epstein said. ``We got together, discussed the issues thoroughly, reached a consensus, and now we will move forward together.''
Epstein was complimentary about Little's work managing the strong personalities in the Boston clubhouse.
``A lot goes on behind the scenes that people never know about,'' Epstein said, ``different things that Grady Little does to help preserve and improve the chemistry of the ballclub.
``He knows that he did his absolute best and he knows he really helped this team get to the doorstep of the World Series this year and he's proud of that.''
Little, 53, became the Red Sox manager in March 2002, after Joe Kerrigan was fired. Kerrigan had moved up from pitching coach in 2001 after Jimy Williams was fired.
Little managed 16 seasons in the minors from 1980 to 1995 and was San Diego's bullpen coach in 1996. He spent the next three seasons as Williams' bench coach in Boston then had the same job the next two seasons with Charlie Manuel in Cleveland.
In 2002, the Red Sox got off to a 40-17 start under Little but finished at 93-69 and missed the playoffs. This season, they were 95-67 and led the AL in batting average, total bases and other offensive categories.
The Red Sox let Little go on Monday, less than two weeks after Boston blew a chance to play in the World Series when its ace couldn't hold a lead against the New York Yankees.
The Florida Marlins beat the Yankees in the Series that wrapped up Saturday, ending baseball's embargo on major moves and freeing the Red Sox to cut Little loose.
Little's contract expires Friday, and the team decided not to exercise its 2004 option.
Team president Larry Lucchino said team officials notified Little of the decision in a telephone conversation Monday morning.
``He took it very well,'' Lucchino said. ``He was very gracious. There was no anger or raised voices. On the contrary, he thanked us for the opportunity he had been given to manage the Red Sox and to manage in the big leagues.''
Among the names mentioned as possible successors are Jim Fregosi, Bud Black, Glenn Hoffman, Charlie Manuel and Jerry Remy.
The Red Sox won 93 and 95 games in Little's two years as manager, reaching the playoffs this year for the first time since 1999. They lost the first two games against Oakland, then swept three straight to advance to the ALCS, and Little's job seemed secure.
The Yankees took a 3-2 lead in the Series as it headed back to New York, and Little seemed to be making all of the right moves.
He left struggling Nomar Garciaparra alone, and the shortstop snapped out of his slump with four hits in Game 6, helping force a seventh game. And, because Little chose not to use Martinez on short rest, he had his ace available for the decisive game.
Boston staked Martinez to a 4-0 lead, and he led 5-2 in the eighth. Even after Little came out to talk to Martinez, he left him in rather than trust the lead to the bullpen that struggled all year before finding some consistency in the playoffs.
The Yankees tied it off Martinez in the eighth, then won the game and the series in the 11th on Aaron Boone's homer off Tim Wakefield.
``There's no reason to blame Grady,'' Martinez said. ``Grady doesn't play the game, I do. If you want to judge me or curse me or whatever, I will swallow that, because I am responsible.''
Two days later, Little defended the decision to stick with his ace.
``If people want to judge Grady Little on the results of a decision I made in that last game the other day, so be it,'' he said in his Fenway Park office. ``In my heart, I know we had a great season here.''
Although publicly commending Little's work in keeping the clubhouse together, the Red Sox delayed an announcement on Little's future while angry Red Sox fans called for his job. Team officials insisted that their choice did not hinge on the one decision.
``The decision to make a change resulted from months of thought about that long term direction (of the team),'' Lucchino said.
General manager Theo Epstein is known to rely more on statistical analysis in assessing players and matchups than Little, who often used his instincts in making decisions. Owner John Henry is also in the statistical analysis camp.
``We all have different backgrounds, different access to the clubhouse and different perspectives to the game,'' Epstein said. ``We got together, discussed the issues thoroughly, reached a consensus, and now we will move forward together.''
Epstein was complimentary about Little's work managing the strong personalities in the Boston clubhouse.
``A lot goes on behind the scenes that people never know about,'' Epstein said, ``different things that Grady Little does to help preserve and improve the chemistry of the ballclub.
``He knows that he did his absolute best and he knows he really helped this team get to the doorstep of the World Series this year and he's proud of that.''
Little, 53, became the Red Sox manager in March 2002, after Joe Kerrigan was fired. Kerrigan had moved up from pitching coach in 2001 after Jimy Williams was fired.
Little managed 16 seasons in the minors from 1980 to 1995 and was San Diego's bullpen coach in 1996. He spent the next three seasons as Williams' bench coach in Boston then had the same job the next two seasons with Charlie Manuel in Cleveland.
In 2002, the Red Sox got off to a 40-17 start under Little but finished at 93-69 and missed the playoffs. This season, they were 95-67 and led the AL in batting average, total bases and other offensive categories.