For Sox pair, an up-and-down day

Varitek surprised; Lowell is let down

NEW YORK - Their lockers were nearly next to each other in the visitors' clubhouse, separated by a few feet. The guy who made it, and the guy who didn't: Jason Varitek, a surprise choice based on his struggles offensively, and Mike Lowell, the first name mentioned by All-Star manager Terry Francona as a player he was unhappy to leave off the roster.

So while Lowell expressed his regret at not being invited to play for the American League, where he would have joined seven teammates and his manager, Varitek, hitting .219 entering last night and battling prolonged slumps this season, expressed a bit of surprise at making his third All-Star team. Asked if there was, perhaps, a bit of embarrassment at being selected, Varitek acknowledged mixed feelings.

"I think there's a level of that, then I guess, because I guess the players vote, there's appreciation," Varitek said. "It's still an honor. I may not play another 15 years, I may only have about 10 left. You've got to appreciate it while you can."

And he will, heading to Yankee Stadium for the July 15 All-Star Game with a large contingent of his fellow Red Sox. Four were voted in by the fans to be starters and three more were picked by the players. Kevin Youkilis, Dustin Pedroia, Manny Ramírez, and David Ortiz were named starters, though Ortiz will miss the game because of his wrist injury, with Milton Bradley becoming the starting designated hitter. Along with Varitek, J.D. Drew and Jonathan Papelbon were added by the players.

"Ultimately hard decisions have to be made," Francona said. "They're not supposed to be easy. I'm not sure they're supposed to be fair. Just can't work that way. You certainly try to do the best you can, then sit here and say why."

So Lowell will not be among them, despite the efforts of his manager.

"I'd be lying if I didn't picture myself playing here," said Lowell, who came up with the Yankees. "They're going to try to do it bigger and better. I have some good memories here, I have my first big league hit, my first big league game. In that sense, you're definitely disappointed."

When he was told about the situation by a Major League Baseball representative, Lowell said he made it clear he didn't want to be part of the Internet voting for the 32d and final slot, citing a belief that the selection becomes a "popularity contest."

"The hard thing is the reason I'm getting to sit here is because of how we played, because of some really good players," Francona said. "A guy like Mikey Lowell is going to fall right smack in the middle of that. There's going to be some disagreements when you're making this team and that was a hard one."

A hard decision for him to make, a hard one for Lowell to hear. But it was easier for many of the Red Sox, from Ramírez, selected to his 12th All-Star Game, to Pedroia, Youkilis, and Drew, all heading to their first.

"Every year there's always guys that are deserving that don't make it," said Youkilis, whose absence could have qualified last season. "I thought I had a good run last year, but it's one of those things when you don't have a DH in the National League, it kind of affects a lot of first basemen. But it all worked out. I can't really complain about last year."

On Ramírez participating in the game, Francona said, "I think he's going to be OK. I think he understands his responsibility and I think he feels OK about it. Now if he runs around second this week and looks like he got shot, that's the way it is with anybody, but I think we're in good shape."

Though Youkilis and Pedroia are still relatively young players, it is somewhat surprising that Drew - a player twice drafted in the first round, with one of the sweetest swings in baseball - never had made the team. He had a chance in 2001 with St. Louis before breaking a finger a few weeks before the All-Star Game, and again in 2004 with Atlanta, when he hit .312 with 21 home runs and 55 RBIs, with an OPS of 1.062 before the break.

"Things happen for a reason, that's the way things go," said Drew, who, entering last night, was batting .333 and slugging .793 with 12 home runs and 29 RBIs since Ortiz went down. "I often wondered if I'd ever make one, because I was going really, really well [in 2004]. I thought, 'Hey, I can't put up much better numbers than this.' "

Bobby Cox, his manager at the time, told Drew that he had tried his best to get him on the team. There was nothing he could do. This year, there was nothing Francona had to do. Drew got the third-most votes from the players (273), behind Josh Hamilton and Manny Ramírez, who both already had been voted in by the fans.

But even with the disappointments and the surprises there was one question left to ask Francona: If the AL is leading heading into the ninth inning, who gets the ball? Is it Papelbon or, on a day celebrating Yankee Stadium, is it Mariano Rivera?

"Papelbon tonight," Francona cracked, before last night's series finale against the Yankees.

As for July 15, he wasn't saying.