NEW YORK Tino Martinez gets warm reception in return

He went 0-for-3 for the Cardinals in a 5-2 loss to the Yankees.
NEW YORK (AP) -- Tino Martinez gave Yankees fans plenty of reasons to fall in love with him during six championship-filled seasons in New York.
There were the 44 home runs and 141 RBIs in 1997.
There was the grand slam in Game 1 of the 1998 World Series against the San Diego Padres.
And, of course, the tying homer with two outs in the ninth inning off Byung-Hyun Kim in the 2001 Series.
Countless goose bumps and a string of special memories.
"There were so many -- the four World Series wins, the last outs, the perfect games," Martinez said. "That stuff doesn't happen once in so many people's career and I had it happen so many times."
Nice response
Martinez returned to Yankee Stadium on Friday night for the first time since signing a free-agent contract with St. Louis before last season. He went 0-for-3 with an RBI as former teammate Roger Clemens beat the Cardinals 5-2 for his 300th win.
Slowed by a strained right hamstring, Martinez batted seventh and served as the designated hitter instead of playing first base. He got a standing ovation before each at-bat.
"It was awesome, the whole night. It was phenomenal," Martinez said. "I knew I'd get an ovation for what I did here, but it was way beyond my expectations. It's tough to play under those circumstances. I appreciate it very much."
With 55,214 fans still on their feet immediately after Clemens' 4,000th career strikeout in the second inning, a huge roar went up as Martinez came to the plate for the first time.
He stepped out of the batter's box and tipped his helmet to chants of "Tino! Tino!" Then he struck out on three pitches -- the fifth of the night for the Rocket, who finished with 10 Ks.
Martinez said the first ovation was one of the most memorable moments of his career.
"That was up there, way up there. I've had a lot of those, but that was different circumstances. The guys on the bench couldn't believe it. I said, 'That's the way they are, man,' " he said.
Tough assignment
Martinez replaced fan favorite and former Yankees captain Don Mattingly at first base in 1996. It was a tough assignment, but Martinez's clutch hitting and good looks soon made him an extremely popular player as well.
A mainstay on five World Series teams, including four championships, he provided underrated defense, clutch hitting and steady leadership in the clubhouse.
"We just had a lot of guys on that team who hated to lose," Martinez said. "I was excited in the offseason when the schedule came out and I saw we were coming here."
And what a night to come back. Martinez was one of several Cardinals to stay in the dugout for a few minutes after the game to watch Clemens celebrate with his family on the field.
"It's amazing. The hard work, the dedication he put in -- you're definitely happy for Roger, but you want to win the game and let him do it against somebody else," said Martinez, who had his wife and three children at the game.
The 35-year-old Martinez hit 175 home runs for New York from 1996-2001, but the Yankees let him leave after signing Jason Giambi in December 2001.
With at least 25 homers and 105 RBIs in five of his six seasons in New York, Martinez was so consistent he was almost forgotten on a star-studded team -- but not by the fans.
A large contingent even showed up last season when he returned to New York for the first time, to play the Mets at Shea Stadium.
Most of the crowd arrived late Friday on a misty night, but Martinez still got a huge ovation when the lineups were announced. Before the game, he admitted he would probably be nervous, and compared the baseball-crazed fans in St. Louis with those in the Bronx.
"I'd just say a little more laid back," Martinez said. "Here, if you get 15,000 fans on a Tuesday night, it's 15,000 intense fans."
Poor performance
Since joining the Cardinals as Mark McGwire's replacement at first base, Martinez hasn't been able to duplicate the production he enjoyed in New York.
He often struggled in his first season with St. Louis, batting .262 with 21 homers and 75 RBIs -- not the numbers the Cardinals hoped for when they signed him to a $21 million, three-year deal.
He has only four homers and 25 RBIs in 203 at-bats this season. He is hitting just .200 with runners in scoring position, puzzling for a player with six 100-RBI seasons.
Martinez came through in the fourth inning, however, hitting a sacrifice fly to tie the game at 2.
He hurt his hamstring Tuesday night in Boston trying to beat out a double play. He did not play the next two games, and said he sat out Thursday night with an eye toward his return to the Bronx.
"I wanted to make sure I was 100 percent," Martinez said. "It was still a little sore."
Former Yankee Joe Girardi also returned to the Bronx and brought the lineup card to home plate before the game. The Cardinals' backup catcher spent four years with the Yankees, helping them win three titles.
Since leaving after the 1999 season, he's returned to Yankee Stadium to attend postseason games as a spectator and to take pictures with his two young children on the field.
"A nice night to be back," Girardi said.