Little out as Red Sox Manager

ESPN TICKER ^

[rs79bm]

The Boston Red Sox, still smarting from a bitter seven-game loss to the rival Yankees in the ALCS, fired manager Grady Little on Monday, a high-ranking team official told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

ESPN's Peter Gammons, who reported earlier Monday that Little would be fired Monday, reports that the team will formally announce the move at a 3 p.m. ET news conference at Fenway Park.

Monday's Boston Herald, citing a Red Sox source, reported that two candidates to succeed Little could be former Indians manager Charlie Manuel and former Red Sox second baseman Jerry Remy, a television analyst for NESN, a regional sports network partly owned by the Red Sox.

According to the report, others on the Red Sox list are Yankees third-base coach Willie Randolph, Yankees first-base coach Lee Mazzilli, Dodgers third-base coach Glenn Hoffman and former Phillies skipper Terry Francona, now the A's bench coach.

[gdani]

steinbrenner would never let Torre come to boston while still under contract.

But whether Torre makes it through the off-season as the Yanks' manager is the big question.

[gdani]

I heard Pedro and Zimmer don't get along

Of course, it would be hilarious to see Zim waddle off the bench after one of his own players -- since I'm sure Punkdro has many heads left to throw at.

[TheRedSoxWinThePennant]

I heard Pedro and Zimmer don't get along.

ya think? but seriously the red sox need to stop trying to please pedro all the time. He is one of the reasons Jimy Williams got canned. Not to mention bringing on his brother Ramone with the jellyfish arm just to please Pedro. He makes 17 million a year He should just shut and pitch.

[sirshackleton]

Randy Johnson won three for his team when it mattered;

YEAH!!!! For the moment, you are my favorite poster!

Sirshack - diehard D-backs fan...

[Steve_Seattle]

This past season, there was a game when the Mariners' Bob Melvin made the right move by taking out Ryan Franklin for Arthur Rhodes. But the right move got the wrong result - Rhodes gave up a home run, and the fans and media trashed Melvin. In the next game that Franklin pitched, a similar situation developed, but this time Melvin - perhaps reacting to the criticism from the earlier game - left Franklin in the game, and FRANKLIN gave up a home run. The moral(s) of the story: (1) sometimes the right move gets the wrong result - players aren't robots; and (2) don't go away from the game plan because of media criticism.

[HeadOn]

I'm with you. After the second of those three straight base hits, I told my son, "This guy needs to come out. He's gonna lose it."

[discostu]

One of the cliches of sports is that players coaches (managers) are good at turning teams around and pointing them to the promised land, but for reasons for which theories abound they can't actually get a team to the promised land. Which is why they eventually get fired after coming very close. Tony Dungy in the NFL is the same kind of story.

[rs79bm]

The Red Sox have been bringing people back with Jellyfish arms throughout the last 10 years. I mean, I could go on and on, but let's pick up some talented pitchers instead of pitchers who have already proven themselves and are just about finished.

[TheRedSoxWinThePennant]

Steinbrenner has the option for torre for one more year. If he doesnt want him back he will at least wait for the red sox to pick a manager before refusing to pick his option up. Bucky Dent and Willie randolph are both waiting in the wings for torres job anyway.

[dfwgator]

The Cubs should fire Dusty Baker for the same reason.

[discostu]

While you're right on all those counts the final clause is exactly why Little should get fired. Pedro is a 7 inning pitcher, Little went away from the game plan 6 outs from a trip to the World Series, and paid big.

[HeadOn]

Yep. ZIMMER would have taken Martinez out!

[rs79bm]

I suppose so, but Dusty is entrenched into the Cubs plans for quite a while into the future, Grady Little was not. He optioned wasn't picked up well before the teams run into the playoffs.

[JimVT]

Jeez....I just had a real brainstorm for George Stainbuster.......fire Torre and hire Al Sharpton!

[buckeyesailor]

Little spent too much time sitting next to Hargrove in Cleveland. That Pedro move is exactly what Hargrove would have done. I saw a lot of simularities between Litle and Hargrove ie a lot of righty-lefty moves making a pitching change to late etc.

[kidd]

Why would he walk out to the mound in the 8th inning? Did he really think he was going to get an objective assessment from Pedro?

LOL.

Grady: Whaddya think Pedro? Can you go on?

Pedro: No boss. Right now I'm feeling small and alone. I think I'd just like to go back to the dugout and have a good cry.

[Rum Tum Tugger]

If the Red Sox are serious about ending the curse, there's only one man to consider for their next manager: "Bucky 'F...' Dent".

Bucky's baseball school is located at Fenway Park II. Coincidence? I think not!

[Spirited]

Figure he'd be worth it to some other group that wants to win 93-95 games. Going to be fascinating to see how this comes back to haunt them.

Sorry, Sox fans. Still wish you well.

[Steve_Seattle]

"Why would he walk out to the mound in the 8th inning? Did he really think he was going to get an objective assessment from Pedro?"

I think the manager also asks the catcher's opinion. Does anyone know what - if anything - Varitek said?

[HEY4QDEMS]

Oh they had a string of good innings in the postseason

Of the eight teams in the post season, the best bullpen belonged to the Red Sox, you can look it up.
Furthermore, Pedro in his prime rarely pitched past 7 innings, and never in his career has he had four starts in 16 days. He should have been a spectator after seven.
Little blew it. plain and simple