Red Sox, Little part ways

BOSTON, Oct. 27 (UPI) -- As expected, the Boston Red Sox have fired manager Grady Little.

He is the third manager fired since the regular season ended. The others were Mike Hargrove by Baltimore and Jerry Manuel by the Chicago White Sox.

Little led the Red Sox to 95 wins and a wild card berth in 2003, the most wins for the club since 1986.

Boston officials called it a decision not to renew Little's $650,000 contract option for the 2004 season. He has come under intense criticism since the Red Sox failed to win the American League pennant despite having one of baseball's most potent offensive attack.

"We will now seek a new manager for the long term to take us in a new direction, and, we hope, to the next level," said team president Larry Lucchino. "The decision to make a change resulted from months of thought about that long-term direction."

Little especially was criticized for not relieving a tiring Pedro Martinez in the eighth inning of Game Seven of the ALDS against the New York Yankees, who touches Martinez for three runs in the inning to tie the contest at five, and went on to a 6-5, 12-inning victory and a trip to the World Series.

Little's winning percentage of .580 was the best by any full-time Boston manager since Steve O'Neill's .602 in 1950-51.