Nearly two years and two months later, I'm still in shock.  Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS, Red Sox leading the Yankees after seven innings in Yankee Stadium.  Red Sox star pitcher Pedro Martinez enters the dugout to high fives, back slaps and applause from his teammates.  Everything Martinez does in the next two minutes indicates he's done for the night, with the Red Sox up 5-2 over their arch-rivals from the Bronx.  And then it happens.

Grady Little doesn't take out Pedro Martinez.  Pedro gets rocked in the 8th inning for three runs, tying the game.  A short time later the Yankees win on Aaron Boone's home-run in extra innings. 

After the game, Little approaches Pedro and thanks him for pitching the 8th inning.  Reportedly, Little tells Pedro he probably won't be back in Boston in 2004. 

He couldn't have been more right.  Not long after, his contract  as Manager of the Boston Red Sox was not renewed, and he was replaced by Terry Francona.  Eleven months later, the Boston Red Sox won the 2004 World Series, ending 86 years of frustration and reducing the inferiority complex of Red Sox fans to Yankees fans.

Little had to wait out the bad vibes for two years, but on Tuesday was named Manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers.  It would seem all's well that ends well. 

The Dodgers are about to find out that's not necessarily the case.  Sure, the Red Sox won the World Series after Little left, but there is still the belief they could have won it in 2003 if it weren't for him.  Red Sox fans, like myself, still can't watch the replays of that Game 7, still ask themselves why Little left Pedro in and still wonder what would have happened if he'd just taken him out.

Not that I can't let it go or anything.

But I wonder, are the once proud, fallen-on-hard-times Dodgers in for a very painful season?  It's hard enough to stomach a 71-91 record like they had in 2005, especially for a franchise like the Dodgers, which has seen Sandy Koufax, Orel Hershiser and Mike Piazza.  This team won the 1988 World Series.

I guess my question is, what the heck is Tommy Lasorda thinking?  Is he not aware of Little's rep?

Does he not know that Little had been told, again, reportedly, before that ALCS Game 7 that Pedro had a 100-pitch limit, that Little was to pull him no matter what?  Does he not know that order came directly from Red Sox GM Theo Epstein and other Boston management?  And if Lasorda does know this, why would he hire Little?

Look, I'm all for forgiveness and second chances.  But Little began making seriously questionable managerial moves way before Game 7 that season.  In September of that year he left Pedro in too long in another game.  He repeatedly took out his best hitters in questionable situations, taking away strong bats in the line-up for "defensive upgrades" in the field.  Was there really that much of a difference between 2nd Basemen Todd Walker and Damien Jackson? No. 

Grady Little doesn't learn from his mistakes.  He doesn't handle pressure well.  And he has a hard time listening to his superiors.  Which makes him a perfect fit for Detroit or Kansas City, not L.A.

On Tuesday, Little said of the Game 7, "That was in the past the day after the season was over, as far as I'm concerned.  We know where that organization was when we got there, we knew where it was when we left."

He also said that he didn't pay attention to the frustration of Red Sox fans, saying that was just Boston's want to win.

But I've got news for you Grady, it's like that in L.A. too.  The thirst to win baseball championships is strong with the more historic teams, like the Yankees, Red Sox, Reds and...the Dodgers.  Make a managerial mistake in May managing the Devil Rays, no one cares.  Make one in August for the Dodgers and it'll be warmer than usual the next day in L.A, because the press and the fans will fry you.

I'm just wondering what will happen when, if the Dodgers are in the 2006 NLCS against a hated rival-- like the Giants-- and their ace pitcher has gone the limit, will Little replace him?  Or will Little be replaced himself shortly after the Dodgers lose?

For the 2006 L.A. Dodgers, I've got "Little" expectations.  Now for 2007...

 One More Baseball Thought:

The Houston Astros will not be offering Roger Clemens salary arbitration, which basically means that Clemens is done in Houston.  The Astros wouldn't be able to negotiate anything with him until May 1, 2006.  Thus we should assume Clemens is, in fact, going to retire.

Not so fast...There are some factors to rundown why Clemens will be pitching (and for yet another team) in 2006:

1) He'll already be in shape.
Clemens has committed himself to pitching in the World Baseball Classic, which begins in March, for team U.S.  Since this is the inaugural event, it would leave me to believe Clemens will take this seriously and work himself into pitching shape...just like a spring training.

2) He likes money.
It's no secret the Rocket loves dollar signs, and I'm betting that there is someone out there willing to pay him $18-$20 million dollars for one season.  That's basically the range he'd have if he was granted salary arbitration.  And while Clemens loves driving his kids to school in Houston, there's something that tells me one seven month stretch away from home--even if the distance is long--will be an interesting proposition. 

3) He's got Rocket fuel left in the tank.
At 43, he's a physical specimen. He had the lowest ERA in the majors again--with no run support.  He just gets better and better.

As a Red Sox fan, I never thought I'd suggest he come back to Boston, but a one year rotation of Clemens, Curt Schilling (who'll be healthy) and Josh Beckett would, quite frankly, be surreal.  Enough time has passed that the wounds have healed over.  Until Clemens comes to a decision, I'll be sending him copies of Dave Loggins 1974 hit song, "Please Come to Boston".

Ever seen the movie, "The Perfect Storm"? I really liked it--until the end.  I felt like I'd been duped, I'd been cheated, all because when you think about it, none of the movie after the first thirty minutes actually happened.  Since all the fishermen on the Andrea Gail died in the Storm, there's no way to prove the emotional events that happened out at sea.

Why do I say this?  Because I get that same feeling with Peyton Manning.  Now, I know I'm from Indy.  I know the Colts are now 12-0 following yesterday's destruction of yet another team, this time the Titans fell 35-3.  But there's something missing with Peyton Manning. Take this for what it's worth, since I'm the same guy who said the Colts should have drafted Ryan Leaf in 1998. 

I had to talk myself into writing this.  I thought, "No one will understand the point--especially now!  Are you nuts? Writing an anti-Manning column? What's next? An anti-Pete Carroll column in L.A.?" 

Even today, my points are somewhat valid.  Though Leaf obviously flopped big time and Manning was/is the clear choice, I can't get attached to Peyton.  He can break the single season touchdown record, he can lead a team to a 12-0 start, be humble, a great guy in the community, say all the right things--and I can want him to win (which I do)--but he can't break into that place reserved for the truly great players in Sports. 

Think about this: In this country, we love Quarterbacks, Shooting Guards and Hitters--and we love them flawed. We loved Michael Jordan, who had a gambling problem.  We loved Mickey Mantle, who had an alcohol problem. 

Specifically, if we're comparing quarterbacks, we love the ones who aren't perfect.  We like to know that Brett Favre can throw a ball like a pitcher at 75 mph between three defenders for a touchdown--but we also like knowing he faces many of the same challenges we do, like the loss of a family member, or even substance abuse. 

Wonder why most fans like Tom Brady?  There's just something endearing about the fact that everyone overlooked him at Michigan and in the NFL Draft, but he's become the best QB in Pro Football, at least if you're judging by Super Bowl rings.  As fans, we like Brady for the most part because he was overlooked, just like we feel the world is overlooking us at times, too.  Hey, we're all 6th Round Draft picks waiting for our chance in the "Game of Life". 

And when these guys are in pain, we're somehow in pain and we feel for them.  When Farve held his press conference years ago announcing his addiction to pain killers, with then head coach Mike Holmgren and his wife by his side, he was both a troubled young star and still everybody's All-American. 

He was vulnerable, but still somehow special.  These guys give me the same feeling that I had while watching the new film about Johnny Cash, "Walk The Line".  I felt Johnny Cash for two hours--almost knew what it must have been like to be him.  He was talented--and tortured.  But you wanted him to succeed, you wanted to see him with June Carter and you wanted to see him happy.  You didn't like seeing him in pain.

I'm not sure anyone gets that for Peyton.

When we see Peyton Manning in pain or upset, he's just got that look...like he's whining or he's been told "no" for the thousandth time.  I saw it after the 2003 Playoff loss to the Jets, 41-3.  Again after the Patriots loss last year, 21-3. 

You know the look on the face of Favre, Montana, Aikman, Bradshaw and other greats when they throw an interception?  The give a sly grin, and the look says "I'm coming back at you again".  Manning often looks like he's thinking about who's fault it was, because it wasn't his.

Though his brother Eli has some of these qualities, it's not the same.  Did you see how the Giants mobbed him after he threw that game winning touchdown last month against the Broncos?  Have you ever seen the Colts mob Peyton Manning?  Even after his 49th touchdown last year, it was congratulatory and businesslike. 

Maybe I'm wrong--maybe that's just Peyton Manning's style.  And it's fine, it works.  But it's just not endearing to me. 

I know he doesn't have to be cool--let's face it, he won't be.  But have you ever seen Peyton with a five o'clock shadow?  A hat on backwards?  He's nearly too polished, too "Made-For-This".  I don't know the Mannings.  I certainly gather everything I see from T.V. and interviews and articles.  But Eli seems to be the rebel.  Like he said to Archie, "O.K. Dad, I'll play QB like you and Peyton, but I'm going to do it my way." 

Perhaps there is a reason that no Manning has ever won a title.  Or maybe there isn't.  But often times, Sports is about a feeling, and I've never had that "feeling" about Peyton Manning.  I've wanted to, believe me, especially the last three years--but I just keep seeing the same kid who couldn't beat Florida in college when he played for Tennessee.  I keep seeing the kid who seemed like he both took it too hard and somehow not serious enough, if that makes sense. 

Sports fans are often about feeling--it's like a real relationship.  Average American Sports fans get attached and live, die and bleed their teams and their favorite players.

Look at it this way: would a marriage or friendship work if it was just perfect, even keil and non-emotional for years on end?  Of course not--it's the fighting, the making up, the laughs and the tears that make those things the reason the relationship/friendship will stand for a long time.  It's how you know you can depend on people. This is a Sports Relationship.

I can't, for the life of me, ever get to the point where I depend on Peyton Manning as a Sports fan.  I can depend on Brett Favre, Tom Brady, Michael Jordan and Pedro Martinez.  Maybe one day I can depend on Eli, but I'm not sure there will ever be room for "The Perfect Manning".