After days of speculation, the club announced that manager Grady Little would not be returning next season.
The club’s front office cited a desire to go in a new direction as the reason for not offering Little a new contract. The Red Sox called Little at hi s home in Pinehurst on Monday morning to tell him of their decision.
Little, according to a statement released by the club, thanked the Red Sox for the opportunity to manage in the majors.
“Grady Little will be fine,” he said in the statement. “The organization made a decision to go in a different direction. Whoever they hire to replace me will be getting the best bunch of players in baseball and a solid general manager. I love each and every one of those guys.”
Little managed the BoSox for two seasons, winning over 90 games each year, while leading the team to the seventh game of the American League Championship Series this year.
It was in the seventh game that his decision to leave Pedro Martinez in the game sparked the ire of Boston fans. The Sox were leading 5-2 in the eighth inning against the New York Yankees in the decisive game seven when Little opted to leave Martinez in the game.
Martinez gave up four consecutive hits, allowing the Yankees to score three runs and force the contest into extra innings.
New York would win in the bottom of the 11th on a walkoff homer by Aaron Boone.
Although fans clamored for Little to be fired after the loss, a news release from the Red Sox said that owner John Henry “took the position well before the postseason that the club may need to question a long-term commitment to its manager.”
The Red Sox did give Little a $310,000 going away present, $60,000 in incentives related to this year’s performance by the Sox and a $250,000 bonus.
Little spent 16 years in the minors, most of them with teams in North Carolina, before spending six seasons as a bench coach for various major league clubs, including three years with Boston (1997-99).
The Red Sox hired him to replace the fired Jim Kerrigan in spring training of 2002. He went 93-69 his first season with the Sox, failing to make the playoffs.
This year’s edition of the Red Sox led the majors in batting average and several other offensive categories.
