Ex-Red Sox Manager Makes Admission About Infamous Pedro Martinez Decision

Grady Little’s decision to leave Pedro Martinez on the mound in the eighth inning of Game 7 of the 2003 American League Championship Series was baffling in the moment.

And 21 years later, it’s still just as puzzling.

Little didn’t do himself any favors, either, when he rehashed the moment during the new Netflix documentary titled, “The Comeback: 2004 Boston Red Sox.” Little took a mound visit to Martinez after the Red Sox ace allowed a run off back-to-back hits and Hideki Matsui coming to the plate. The talent right-hander looked to be on fumes after throwing 115 pitches and Little was asked point blank if he considered the pitch count when he made his decision to stick with Martinez.

“No, I’m looking at what he’s got,” Little said. “I knew about where he was, but I knew what he was showing on the mound, too. A lot of my own gut feel.”

Well, Little’s gut was dead wrong. Matsui laced a ground-rule double down the right-field line and Jorge Posada followed with a double of his own to plate two runs and level the score.

Little said he asked Martinez prior to those two batters if he had enough left in the tank. Martinez thought that was the wrong approach by the manager given the pitcher’s competitive nature.

“He plain and simple just asked me, ‘Do you think you have enough bullets to get Matsui?'” Martinez said. “You don’t ask a wounded warrior. Of course, I’m going to say yes.”

That decision by Little will live in infamy among Red Sox fans and it seems it will always have them scratching their heads.