Boston drops a 6-4 decision exhibition game at Cooperstown, but what was really important was taking in baseball's rich history.

01:00 AM EDT on Tuesday, May 24, 2005

BY STEVEN KRASNER
Journal Sports Writer

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. -- The day's travel was by no means ideal, featuring an early wake-up call, a 7:30 a.m. bus from Fenway Park to the airport, a flight to Albany, N.Y., and then a 90-minute bus ride to the Clark Sports Center, where they dressed for yesterday's exhibition game at Doubleday Field, a tape-measure home run away from the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.

But the Boston Red Sox, with the exception of a select few, were on hand to meet and greet their passionate fans, who lined Main Street for the annual parade and filled the stadium to see the

home-run derby competition and then the game between the defending World Champions and the Detroit Tigers.

The Sox were well aware that this is a magical place for the sport and its fans.

"I came here as a little kid on a family vacation, but I was too young to appreciate it," said Boston manager Terry Francona. "I just wish we had more time to walk around and see things. We will treat this day with respect."

"This is the first time I've been here. This means a lot," said reliever Mike Timlin, 39, a 15-year veteran with three World Series titles on his résumé.

"This is where it all began. There's a lot of history in this town. It means quite a bit to walk on the field. I feel like a rookie again," added Timlin, who toured the Hall during yesterday's game with Tim Wakefield, Jason Varitek, Mike Myers, Matt Clement and Jeremi Gonzalez.

The Sox' roster was absent a few stars. Curt Schilling was in Washington, D.C., serving as part of a subcommittee meeting on the issue of steroids, according to Francona. Manny Ramirez was filming a commercial somewhere, a previously scheduled engagement that had Francona irritated with the left fielder's agent. John Halama (personal reasons), Alan Embree (wisdom teeth) and Keith Foulke (personal reasons) had excused absences.

Boston did have several minor leaguers on hand to fill in.

There was some pregame news. Francona had Kevin Millar pull out of the home-run derby because of a sore left foot, he injured when he fouled a ball off it Saturday night. Millar, though, said he thought he'd be able to play tonight in Toronto, for the start of a three-game series with the Blue Jays.

Francona also said Bronson Arroyo will start tomorrow night, the day after his suspension ends.

Ortiz won the home run derby, belting eight balls well out of the park on 10 swings. Johnny Damon and Jay Payton also competed for Boston, while Detroit countered with Dmitri Young, Craig Monroe and Marcus Thames.

As for the game itself, the Red Sox regulars didn't stick around for long in Boston's 6-4 loss to the Tigers. But fan-favorite Damon did manage to play catch with fans as he warmed up in the outfield before the first pitch of the bottom of the first.

Hanley Ramirez singled home a run in the fifth. In the seventh, Pawtucket's Mike Lockwood crunched a two-run homer, which was followed by Willy Mota's blast that tied the game at 4-4.

East Providence's Barry Hertzler, who is 2-2 with a 5.00 earned-run average for Class A Wilmington, retired the first two batters he faced but wound up the losing pitcher when Derek Nicholson slugged a two-run walkoff homer.

And then it was back on the bus for a return trip to the Albany airport and a charter flight to Toronto.