Who happened to be the only one booed in the lineups before the game.. Poor Ted.

@kevin: The MLB should let Wakefield throw knucklers during the home run derby next summer to actually make it worth watching as well as to make up for not letting him play.

Now lets take a moment to feel sorry for players, like Jermaine Dye, who are having an All-Star worthy year but didn't get selected.

Been a Wake fan for a long time and was really dissapointed at Maddon's decision. Whatever, just gives us another reason to beat up on the Rays this season.

Man, i wanted him to pitch badly :(((((

Who was going to catch him?

If Maddon's mentality was to win the game as his only objective, I'd have to say he both did his job. If he wanted to factor in the fan's hopes, I'd say the AL manager missed the mark at least once. Listening to the coaches and the media coverage, it seemed like managing the game was a combination of the two
I personally watched the game start to finish for one reason..... To see Wakefield pitch. If Maddon had come out in pre game press conferences and stated his plans for Wake, I would've shut it off. I was bitterly disappointed. As a student of the game, I recognize pitching Tim would have been a pretty big risk. While he's unhittable (and sometimes uncatchable) when the knuckler dances.......... he can also get knocked silly when the butterfly goes straight.
Wakefield's presence was the "feel good" story of the game and a good argument can be made that emotional stuff should have no place on the field of play. However, if that's the case, why do we bring out Hall of Famers now in their 80s to honor and why do we fly billion dollar jets over after the national anthem? Why did Pujols get removed from the game in the way he did? Because it stirs one emotions and brings honor to a deserving cause...... I was absolutely shocked when the camera showed next to Rivera in the bullpen and it was announced the AL manager "would not use him unless the game went deep into extra innings." I was bummed....... big time!
Ever since the game ended, I scoured the internet looking for reasons why that could have been the case. The only rationale I read which made any sense was the catchers for the AL were unfamiliar with the knuckleball and had little confidence in their ability to catch him.
Wake is such a classy guy that he may have told the management it was okay to sit him given the catching circumstances. Being selected was an emotional experience for Tim. As I watched, I was preparing myself to be moved much like I was several years ago when Jeter moved Cal Ripkin over to Shortstop at the start of the game taking his position at third. What a show of honor Jeter and Joe Torre displayed for another class individual. It wasn't to be for Wake!
I'm sure he was thrilled with the win.

As a Sox fan, I would have loved to see him pitch, but it's tough to catch. Even the Red Sox catchers who get to work with him on a regular basis have a tough time catching the knuck. At least he made the team though.

I was also disappointed that Wakefield didn't get in, although I understand the logic in holding him for possible multiple extra innings. I was actually pleasantly surprised that they even showed him sitting in the bullpen, given the talking heads in the broadcast booth. I was also surpirsed that they had nice things to say about Youk. I'm guessing it was their effort to sound like unbiased reporters.

wakefields a class act. mr survive.

Sometimes numbers aren't the only thing that make you a All Star. Wakefield has had a great run start to finish over what now is a 17 year career (so far). I agree with one of the other comments, Wake is a class act and if needed he would have went out and pitched his heart out. He didn't get that chance but I'm sure he's OK with that.
Making the playoffs and winning the world series as a team I'm sure will be more important to him then any individual accomplishment...

No class at all from Maddon. ERA of 4.31 or not, the guy leads the AL in wins. He should have pitched earlier. Who will catch him? God, can MLB players be any more whiny? It's a knuckleball in an exhibition game, just deal with it. Whatever happended to fun in baseball? Oh no, god forbid that our pampered young princes might actually go to extra innings! In 1979, Chuck Tanner brought in Phil Niekro to close out the game, thinking that it might be the 41-year old's last chance to appear.

as a baseball fan I think it would have been cool to see Wake who has waited so long to make the allstar game get a chance to pitch but as a Red Sox fan, I am glad he didnt pitch...also glad beckett wasnt thrown in there(knew he wouldnt since he just started Sunday)...as far as Madden not pitching him, I dont think its a problem at all, at least he acknowledged what WAkes been to the Sox this year and many other years as well as what Wakes been to baseball and charities and selected him....that alone was a great gesture.....he also TOLD Wake before the game that he would be his guy in extra innings which is SMART because of the extra inning affairs recently(including the debacle that ended in a TIE), it guaranteed that he'd have someone out there that could go 2-3-4 innings without worrying about hurting his arm for the remainder of the season....Congrats to Wake for finally making the all star game(he deserved it a few other times) and Kudos to Madden for acknowledging Wake's accomplishments...he'll soon be #1 in alltime wins for Sox(over Cy Young and Roger Clemens).

Let's not be too hard on Maddon ... if the best storyline in the all-star game gets put on the bench and it makes baseball look bad the next day, it must have been Bud Selig pulling the strings.

Tim Wakefield is a class act and the rays have proven to be not so much of a class act as shown the time they played Sweet Caroline after sweeping the Sox. Maddon's pseudo-intellectual arrogance is not endearing. I'm hoping he can sit back and watch Wakefield pitch in October.

As a lifelong Red Sox fan,I was disappointed that Wake didn't get a chance to pitch.I think the catching issue was the main reason he didn't.Maddon had some tough choices to make and some players just weren't going to play.I can't be upset with him though,Maddon picked Wakefield as his choice of a pitcher to have on the roster.

baseball is dead,,,,i hate summer

heard some fool at the coffee shop this Am say "it's just as well, lets save Wake's arm..." How can a knucklehead get tired? His arm will last till next century, and Wake could throw from a recliner. He should have been in there. He's a tribute to the game, or what's left of it.

As in little league It is the best interest of baseball that every player should play. We the fans vote those players in so in the end not only Wakefield was disappointed but so I as a fan who voted for him.

Wake should had at least a inninig,all star should be a game for funs not for must win

Maddon will certainly have the remainder of this season, at least, to hear the boos and jeers from the "Fenway Faithful". I'm sure it will make for even more spirited play between the Sox and the Rays. If you get a chance, read Joe Maddon's bio in Wikipedia. There's already some interesting info there in regards to him not pitching Wakefield last night. "Man, I love baseball."

Why don't they play everyone anyways? It is an allstar game, people want to see the players in a game situation. It is just as bad as a youth league playing their stars because they don't want to lose, when you never know who will surprise and actually have a memorable moment.