Grady Little is lambasted for leaving Pedro Martinez in during the eighth inning of Game 7 while the players defend his decision.

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.

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 on Saturday night, 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.

A decision is likely “pretty quickly,” Epstein said.

Said 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.

Little went to the mound. Lefty Hideki Matsui was due up. Lefty Alan Embree was warming up.

Martinez – the three-time Cy Young award winner who led the AL in ERA this season – stayed in the game.

“Second guessing is as real in baseball as peanuts and popcorn, man,” second baseman Todd Walker said after shoving his bats into an equipment bag Friday.

Matsui doubled Williams to third and Jorge Posada doubled both home, tying the score at 5-all against Martinez.

“He’s the guy that makes the most money in this clubhouse and he deserved to be out there,” Walker said. “And if he says he wants the ball then you’ve got to let him have the ball.”

Martinez left after Posada’s hit, and Embree and Mike Timlin kept the score tied. Tim Wakefield pitched a perfect 10th. But Aaron Boone led off the 11th with a homer and Boston fell short again.

“I still can’t believe it, that we were so close,” Ramirez said.

Epstein and Lucchino said there was nothing wrong with Martinez’s shoulder.

“His shoulder’s stronger now than at any point of the season,” Lucchino said.

Still, the Red Sox need better pitching – starters and relievers. And Walker, a free agent, may not get his wish to return.

The team’s togetherness is stronger than it’s been in many years. The acquisition of Millar and David Ortiz, productive hitters and clubhouse personalities, helped. So did Epstein, more accessible and friendlier than his predecessor, Dan Duquette.

For now, there’s still talk about “The Curse of the Bambino.” Boston remains without a championship since 1918, two years before selling Babe Ruth to the Yankees .

“It doesn’t exist,” Epstein said. “Just give us a couple of years and we’re going to win a World Series and that’ll satisfy those troubled people who continue to believe in curses.”

AP-ES-10-17-03 1843EDT