Process leaves some stars out

We all have to be beyond being surprised or outraged by the All-Star selections and snubs by now. After all, it happens every year. No matter the selection process, there is always going to be a deserving player who isn't selected and there is always going to be a player with less-than-overwhelming credentials who winds up on the team.

As much as .329-hitting Kevin Youkilis should have made the American League team and .285-hitting Manny Ramírez shouldn't have, there's probably just as much head-scratching in other cities. In San Diego and New York, one could argue that Chris Young (8-3, 2.14 ERA) or John Maine (9-4, 2.74 ERA) are having better seasons than Philadelphia's Cole Hamels and his 3.87 ERA. Though Hamels's ERA is the highest among all All-Star starters, he is 9-4 and is second in the National League with 116 strikeouts. Baltimore's Erik Bedard, however, who leads the AL with 129 strikeouts with a 6-4 record and a 3.36 ERA, doesn't get the same respect.

You can do that exercise at virtually every position in each league.

The Red Sox landed five players on the All-Star team yesterday, so their gripes weren't heard that loudly and won't be taken too seriously -- in addition to Ramírez, David Ortiz, Josh Beckett, Jonathan Papelbon, and Mike Lowell all were named -- and Hideki Okajima -- another very deserving player -- still can be voted in by fans.

None of them felt like All-Stars after another frustrating 2-1 loss to Texas in which the Sox left 11 men on base. So there was more talk about righting the ship and keeping their foot on the throats of their divisional rivals than about All-Star selections. Despite their June swoon (13-14) and opening July with a loss, there's still a bit of pride associated with having five All-Stars.

"I can't be disappointed," said Youkilis. "David deserves to be on it. I wish him nothing but the best, but as far as making the All-Star team, it's not the major goal. Winning a World Series is. Making the All-Star team is never a goal from Day 1. I had a good first half. It's hard to make the All-Star team if you're not on the fan ballot. And this year there's all kinds of [designated hitters] out there with the first basemen, so it's extra hard. If you have a good first half you can make the All-Star team. But the thing to do is have a good second half and lead the team to the playoffs."

Some deserving players suffer because fans vote for their favorites or because they lack the cachet among managers and players, who often vote on reputation.

Another factor that hurts some players is the rule requiring each franchise to have at least one player represented. Both Ortiz and Twins first baseman Justin Morneau are deserving. Though AL manager Jim Leyland could have conferred with Terry Francona about the possibility of Youkilis being Alex Rodriguez's backup at third base, that would have undermined Lowell, who deserves to be on the team because he is the second-best third baseman in the AL.

We knew it was an uphill fight for Youkilis anyway.

He wasn't on the fan ballot for the second straight year -- last season because he was a rookie, and this season because the game is in San Francisco, so there's no DH, leaving the Sox to submit Ortiz's name at first base. The Sox then successfully petitioned the league to have Youkilis's name placed on the players, managers, and coaches ballot. That still wasn't enough to get Youkilis on the team.

Ortiz appeared too frustrated and disappointed to speak about the All-Star Game yesterday. Big Papi went 0 for 4 and several times failed to deliver a big hit.

Asked whether he thought Ramírez might play, Lowell quipped, "This year he wasn't expecting it and he got it, so he seemed excited, so maybe he'll play. I'm sure there'll be odds in Vegas."

Beckett has a shot at being the starting pitcher, along with Indians lefthander C.C. Sabathia, Tigers righthander Justin Verlander, and Oakland righty Dan Haren, the AL ERA leader at 2.20.

"It's an acknowledg ment they've had excellent years," said Sox pitching coach John Farrell about his All-Stars. "It's an acknowledg ment that in this league where pitching is very good across the board, you're the best of the best. Josh and Jonathan are both very deserving and Hideki Okajima getting in would be a major thing for us because Okie has been so consistent and so important to our team this year."

"It's a big deal and I'm really excited," said Beckett, who will start his final game before the break Thursday and probably would be available to pitch two innings in San Francisco. "I have no control over [being the starter] but it would be an exciting feat for me. Right now I'm just excited to go and I'll let Jim Leyland take care of the rest."

Papelbon, who has 19 saves in 20 chances said, "You want to be one of those guys that is at the All-Star Game year in and year out. That's what I'm striving for. I know there is a lot of great relief pitchers out there that didn't get in, including Okajima, and you know, hopefully I can go out there and represent the Red Sox the best I can."

Papelbon and others, including Francona, urged fans to get Okajima in via online voting, as they did with Johnny Damon and Jason Varitek in years past.

"I appreciate all the Red Sox fans and fans in Japan for their support," said Okajima in a statement. "I hope everyone keeps supporting me and cheering for me. If I am selected into the All-Star Game, it will be a great honor to participate."

Lowell wasn't going to let a selection or a snub affect how he felt about his performance.

"I was going to feel happy with what I did in the first half," he said. "I would have gone home, but I much prefer to go to the All-Star Game. Do I think about it? No, but you're kind of curious . . . you kind of want to know because it is right around the corner and it is an honor. It's definitely something that's fun to do."

The next thing is for the pitchers to stay on their normal routines. Farrell is already making sure that those who handle Beckett know that long-tossing is a huge part of his routine and that he needs to warm up for 25-30 minutes. Farrell, however, had no problem with Beckett starting the game if that's what Leyland decides.

But before any Red Sox depart for San Francisco, they must right the ship. They might not be in danger of losing their stranglehold on the AL East any time soon, but there was a stark reality setting in yesterday.

"If we have a 12-game lead, I want to make it 13 and 14," said Lowell. "What that does is it gives us the leeway that if we lost a player like we did Josh earlier this year for a start or two, we have the cushion we need. We feel like we haven't exploded yet. The Big Dogs definitely set the tone and I just feel they're going to come around."

Nick Cafardo can be reached at cafardo@globe.com.