Wakefield left off Sox roster

By Patrick Reusse, Star Tribune

Last update: October 23, 2007 - 11:10 PM

BOSTON - Veteran knuckleballer Tim Wakefield will not be on the 25-player World Series roster for the Red Sox.

Wakefield has been bothered by inflammation in his right shoulder. He said Tuesday it would not be "fair to the 24 other players" if he had claimed a spot on the World Series.

"I could have pitched Game 2, but after that, it was very doubtful," Wakefield said. "The recovery time after I've pitched has gotten longer and longer."

Lefthander John Lester threw a simulated four innings to his teammates during Tuesday's workout at Fenway Park. Manager Terry Francona would not name him as the Game 4 starter, although he did say, "We didn't stretch out Lester today to put him in the bullpen."

The Rockies went the opposite direction, announcing that veteran starter Aaron Cook would be added to the roster and would be the Game 4 starter on Sunday night in Denver.

Cook, Colorado's Opening Day starter, has not started for the Rockies since Aug. 10 because of a pulled muscle in his side. Lefthander Franklin Morales will be bumped from the rotation to the bullpen, with righthander Taylor Buchholz losing his roster spot.

Do you understand?

Boston closer Jonathan Papelbon was insistent in the Red Sox clubhouse on Tuesday that the 2-1 odds favor his team in this World Series are ridiculous.

"Going into the playoffs, it's all supposed to be about momentum," he said. "They have won 20-some games in a row. Do you understand what words are coming out of my mouth? How can anyone be a favorite over a team that has won 20-some games in a row?

"This is the World Series. Each team is good. Each game, there are going to be two good lineups, two good bullpens, two good starting pitchers. How is there a favorite?"

Newsprint crunch

There are some presumptions involved, including Boston College staying unbeaten with a victory at Virginia Tech this week, but consider what could be consuming New England's sporting public during the first four days of November:

Thursday-1: Game 7 of the World Series in Fenway Park. Friday-2: Kevin Garnett's debut with the Celtics in a home game against Washington; Saturday-3: Boston College, No. 2 in the BCS standings, hosting Florida State; and Sunday-4: the Patriots at Indianapolis in a meeting of the NFL's two titans.

Rockies tickets sell out

The Rockies sold out all three games at Coors Field on Tuesday, one day after their first attempt collapsed in a computer-system crash blamed on people trying to fool the system to hoard tickets.

The Rockies, who had labeled the problem as an "external, malicious attack," said they sold more than 50,000 tickets in the second round of ticket sales in about 2½ hours.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Patrick Reusse • preusse@startribune.com

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