Red Sox still in the 'what if' stage

Boston remains without a championship since 1918.
BOSTON (AP) -- General manager Theo Epstein knew the Red Sox were headed to the World Series.
With five outs to go and a three-run lead Thursday night, his mind drifted to all those Boston teams that came so close, "all those great teams that seemingly couldn't get past the Yankees," Epstein said.
"I was thinking about those guys and how sweet it would be for us to finally beat the Yankees and win one for those guys," he said Friday. "Then it disappeared real quickly."
Instead of preparing for a World Series opener at Fenway Park, shortstop Nomar Garciaparra was kicking a soccer ball in the outfield Friday with fiance Mia Hamm.
Lockers emptied
Inside, players emptied their lockers barely 12 hours after blowing a 5-2 lead and losing the seventh game of the AL championship series to New York 6-5 in 11 innings.
On the floor by Kevin Millar's chair were two equipment bags. One had the logo of the Red Sox, the other that of the Florida Marlins, Millar's former team. It was the World Series the Red Sox came so close to being in.
Instead, the Marlins visit the Yankees tonight while the Red Sox marked their 85th season without a World Series title.
All because manager Grady Little let Pedro Martinez stay in the game too long, especially with Boston's much maligned bullpen pitching very well. At least that's the view that dominated Boston talk radio Friday.
"He chickened out," one host said of Little's decision to let Martinez, who wanted to stay in the game after a difficult seventh inning, have his way.
"The worst manager in the history of baseball," one caller said.
In Boston, Little's records of 93-69 and 95-67 in his two seasons aren't good enough for demanding fans.
Red Sox officials declined comment on whether they would renew the option on Little's contract for next season. Little declined comment.
Decision due
A decision is likely "pretty quickly," Epstein said.
Said President Larry Lucchino: "I think it's outrageous for me to get into the business of predicting what's going to happen or second guessing what happened yesterday."
Players are firmly in Little's corner.
"He's a great man," left fielder Manny Ramirez said Friday. "I think he should be back."
Boston led the majors with a .289 batting average, set a team record with 238 homers and set baseball's slugging percentage record of .491, breaking the .489 mark of the 1927 Yankees.
"I don't think there is a better team in baseball," Epstein said.
After struggling at bat throughout the playoffs, the Red Sox won 9-6 in Game 6 and led 5-2 Thursday after seven innings. Martinez, who struck out eight and allowed six hits, retired the first batter of the eighth. Derek Jeter then doubled and scored on Bernie Williams' single.