Red Sox hire Little as new manager

Grady Little wants to be the one who leads the Boston Red Sox to that elusive World Series title. <br> <br> Little, bench coach in Boston from 1997-99 and at Cleveland since then, was hired Monday as the team&#39;s third manager in a week and fourth in seven months. <br> <br> ``We were well aware of the mini-melodramas that took place at the end of the season,&#39;&#39; new team president Larry Lucchino said. ``We think Grady has the right temperament for this franchise right now.&#34;<br> <br> Boston&#39;s makeover began Feb. 27 when John Henry and his partners bought the team. The next day, they fired general manager Dan Duquette. Five days later, they dumped manager Joe Kerrigan, who took over last Aug. 16 when Duquette fired Jimy Williams. <br> <br> Third-base coach Mike Cubbage became interim manager and interviewed for the job along with Little and former Montreal manager Felipe Alou. <br> <br> Little, 52, reached the majors in 1996 as bullpen coach in San Diego, where Boston co-owner Tom Werner was an owner and Lucchino was president. <br> <br> Twelve current Boston players were on the 1999 team that reached the AL championship series under Williams, with Little at his side. <br> <br> ``Just buckle up,&#39;&#39; Little told the players. ``We&#39;re getting ready to have a good ride.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Boston, which hasn&#39;t won the World Series since 1918, opened the Little era with an 8-8, 10-inning tie against the Texas Rangers. <br> <br> Pedro Martinez breezed through 2 2-3 hitless innings, but ran into trouble when he decided to work on his breaking ball. He walked Chris Magruder on four pitches and gave up three runs on three hits, all with two outs. <br> <br> ``They wanted me to work a little longer. That&#39;s why I continued to throw the breaking ball even though I knew I could get the guy out with fastballs or changeups or whatever,&#39;&#39; he said of Magruder&#39;s at-bat.