All-Stars

Kerry Wood didn't mind, Brian Jordan did and Rafael Palmeiro expected it.

All three players were passed over Wednesday when All-Star game reserves for both leagues were named for next week's game at Coors Field in Denver.Wood was among the most noteworthy omissions by NL manager Jim Leyland, who selected five of his former Florida players but couldn't find room for Jordan, the NL's leading hitter.

"What are you going to do?" Jordan said. "What are you going to do?"

Wood, who tied a major league record with 20 strikeouts in a nine-inning game this season, got the news he wasn't an All-Star after striking out 13 in eight innings of a win over Arizona on Wednesday.

"I wasn't expecting to make it," Wood said. "Maybe next year."

One of his teammates thinks Wood belongs among the stars.

"That's the one that's an oversight," Mark Grace said. "That kid is too good to not go."

Another Cub too good not to go was Sammy Sosa, who has 33 homers. He finished sixth among NL outfielders in the fan vote but was placed on the team by Leyland.

Despite having a banner year, Palmeiro didn't get a nod from Cleveland manager Mike Hargrove, who made Boston's Mo Vaughn the backup for starter Jim Thome at first.

"Some guys are going to be left out when you have so many great players at one position," he said.

Leyland named five members of the 1997 World Series championship team that were traded away in an offseason payroll purge by Florida management. Moises Alou (Astros), Kevin Brown (Padres), Robb Nen (Giants), Gary Sheffield (Dodgers) and Devon White (Diamondbacks) will now join Edgar Renteria, the lone representative from this year's club, for a mile-high Marlins reunion.

"It's nice that we're pretty well-represented from our championship team," Leyland said. "But that's the way it should be. We won the World Series."

Meanwhile, the New York Yankees, snubbed by fans in the starter's vote, had five players picked. However, 11-game winner David Cone and Hideki Irabu, the AL's ERA leader, both were left off, as were Boston's Nomar Garciaparra, Chicago's Frank Thomas and Texas' Rick Helling (11 wins).

Cone might have been eliminated because he'll make his next start on Sunday and would not have been available to pitch.

"A lot of things aren't fair about the All-Star game," he said.

David Wells, whose perfect game on May 17 is this season's top moment, was among the Yankees chosen to represent the team with baseball's best record. Shortstop Derek Jeter, third baseman Scott Brosius and outfielders Bernie Williams and Paul O'Neill also were selected.