06:18 PM EST on Friday, December 17, 2004

Sometimes, I just have to laugh.

Usually, I find hypocrisy annoying. In this case, however, it's amusing.

I am doubled over with laughter at the double standards of Red Sox rooters. And of many members of the media who cover the Red Sox, as well.

Pedro Martinez has been getting ripped in recent days for bailing on Boston to grab a measly extra $13 million from the Mets. By going to New York, Pedro has gone from being No. 1 in the hearts of Red Sox fans to Public Enemy No. 1.

He's greedy, they say. He's self-centered. For Pedro, the vindictive Sox fans insist, it's all about Pedro. And, of course, the money. It's always about the money. When Pedro talked about wanting respect, what he really wanted was money -- which, of course, is how Martinez, and almost every other professional athlete, measures "respect."

Yet those fans who cast aspersions on Pedro for casting aside the Sox in favor of the free-spending -- foolishly spending would be accurate, too -- Mets are the same ones who eagerly welcome into the warm-hearted bosom of Boston the team's new shortstop, Edgar Renteria.

The same Renteria who, while a fan favorite in St. Louis, and extremely well regarded in the Cardinals' clubhouse, spurned an offer from the defending National League champions to join the perennial A.L. East runnersup, those wild-and-crazy, wild-card winning -- and, once every 86 seasons, World Series-winning -- Red Sox.

And he jumped ship for a lot less money than Pedro. A mere million a year over four years, compared to the $13 million in guaranteed money Martinez will get in 2008 that the Red Sox weren't willing to give him.

Both players did the same thing -- they took the money and ran for greener, as in the color of cash, pastures.

But the Boston fans who are so enthusiastically embracing the arrival of Renteria also are blasting Pedro for departing. And so are some of the media, who are shocked -- shocked! -- to learn that Martinez is self-absorbed, greedy, and has an outsized ego bigger than the Green Monster.

For several seasons now, I've referred to Martinez as Prima Donna Petey, and often was criticized for it by people who were in denial about Pedro's true personality. Now that he's gone, everybody's critical of poor Pedro.

Prima Donna Petey always has marched to the beat of his own drummer, and the Red Sox always allowed him to determine the cadence.

As Curt Schilling said earlier this week in a radio interview, Pedro had "his own rules."

"They had been established and in place before I got here," Schilling said. "He was allowed to do . . . things that (were) different than other players. It was OK with everybody and, hey, the media didn't have a problem with it."

That would be the media who consistently coddled, rather than criticized, Prima Donna Petey out of concern that he wouldn't indulge them in cozy clubhouse chats, or go on their radio show, or grant them some face time on television.

Now that he's headed out of town, though -- whoa! -- the same guys who protected him can't wait to pan him.

You have to laugh.

There was plenty to be amused about yesterday, when Prima Donna Petey met the New York media -- who used to love to hate him, but now will adore him. At least until he gets bombed on Opening Day at Shea.

Explaining why he chose New York -- where he'll be the ace; not second banana behind Schilling -- over Boston, Martinez said: "It was more of a commitment from this team than it was money, actually. I gave Boston every opportunity to get me. Boston wouldn't pull the trigger."

The reality is that the Red Sox shouldn't have guaranteed as much money as they did over three years to a 33-year-old pitcher of suspect durability who last season had career highs in hits allowed and earned-run average.

You have to laugh at anyone who thinks Prima Donna Petey's move to the Big Apple was motivated by anything other than money. Which also holds true for Renteria's decision to abandon St. Louis and come to Boston.

What was at least as funny -- to anyone, at least, who was familiar with Martinez's egocentric antics with the Red Sox -- were the comments of the Mets' new manager, Willie Randolph, when he said: "You can't have a different set of rules for different people."

Prima Donna Petey always has operated under his own set of rules. It'll be interesting to see how Randolph intends to make Martinez just one of the guys.

Meanwhile, in St. Louis, Cardinals general manager Walt Jocketty said: "I don't know what else we could have done to make Edgar feel appreciated. We'd been trying for a long time to get him signed. We made every attempt to negotiate a deal. I don't know what else we could have done to show him we want him back."

Of course, you do, Walt -- you could have given him more money.

Do you really think there was a more compelling reason Renteria came to Boston and Prima Donna Petey has taken his diva act to New York?

Don't make me laugh.