It was stated by Epstein that the decision to not renew Little's contract was "made on a body of work after careful contemplation of the big picture...did not depend on any one decision in any one postseason game." Boston would hire former Philadelphia Phillies manager Terry Francona to manage the 2004 season.
Epstein stated that not renewing Little's contract was based on a comprehensive evaluation of his overall performance, which wasn't influenced by any single game in the postseason. Boston would hire former Philadelphia Phillies manager Terry Francona to manage the 2004 season.