Former manager of the Boston Red Sox in the 2002 and 2003 seasons. Perhaps best remembered for not pulling Pedro Martinez during Game 7 of the 2003 American League Championship Series. The Red Sox eventually lost that game in 11 innings. The fateful outcome of this game is seen as the microcosm of the Grady Little legacy.

Turn Around of the Red Sox

In 2002, when Grady Little became the manager, the Boston Red Sox was in disarray. Following seasons of mediocre performance, the atmosphere inside the clubhouse was tense and explosive. The situation deteriorated when manager Jimy Williams was let go in the middle of the 2001 season.

During the two seaons Grady Little managed, the chemistry of the team improved dramatically. Little was able to take his Red Sox teams to two 90-plus wins seasons, by most accounts good improvements over the previous years. The Red Sox even got to the postseason by winning the wildcard race in 2003, the season they eventually lost to the Yankees in Game 7.

Difference in Philosophy

Despite the overall success managing the team, his managing style was controversial. Grady Little managed by instinct, largely ignoring statistics and numbers. As a result, his in-game decisions were frequently questioned. This style is especially at odds with the front office, which values using statistics as a tool of game preparation.

Despite these differences, Grady Little was kept on to manage the team for the two full seasons, perhaps the ownership was wary of replacing a winning manager, and adopted a "wait and see" approach instead.

ALCS Game 7

This is the final game of the American League Championship Series between the Red Sox and the Yankees. After some scorings on both sides, the score was 5-2 in the middle of the 8th inning. Many viewers thought Pedro Martinez would not come out to pitch the bottom of the 8th inning, because:

• Pedro's pitch count was near 100. Statistically, opposing batting averages (OBA) increases significantly (.300+) as Pedro reaches the 100 pitch mark.
• The bullpen was ready and virtually unhittable. Averaging less than 1.0 ERA.
• Pedro was showing signs of fatigue even in the 7th inning.

Grady Little chose to leave Pedro Martinez in the game (Pedro ended up pitching 123 pitches total).

Analysis

Game 7 is characteristic of Grady Little in his decision making. The fact that Grady Little chose the most risky option when a highly successful formula is available reminded the doubters why they have questioned him for so long. Some even felt the team was winning in spite of him, not because of him.

For example, new ownership took over the Boston Red Sox in the 2002 season, and some argue that it's the change of ownership that improved the clubhouse chemistry, not Grady Little. Others argue that the new harmony should be credited to the influx of new players.

There is also good indication that the questionable decisions Grady Little made was not helpful to the team. In 2003, the Boston Red Sox was outperforming the New York Yankees in both batting and pitching, yet the Yankees eventually won the Eastern Division title, signifying that the Red Sox was unable to turn those performance numbers into wins.

A likely conclusion is that, Grady Little did contributed greatly to improving the team chemistry, which was why the team was able to turn around so quickly. However, the loss to New York both in the season and in ALCS shows that club chemistry along is not enough to win pennants, and that is why Grady Little was replaced after the 2003 season.