Though he is in his second season with the Mets, it's clear that the love affair between Pedro Martinez and Boston hasn't died.

01:00 AM EDT on Wednesday, June 28, 2006

BY SHALISE MANZA YOUNG
Journal Sports Writer

BOSTON -- For whatever reason, the Red Sox' brass just didn't believe Pedro.

They didn't believe him when he told them he had gotten a four-year contract offer from the New York Mets.

And they clearly didn't believe that he would leave the team after he had repeatedly said how much he loved playing in Boston and wanted to remain with the club.

But Pedro Martinez did get four years from the Mets, and he did leave the Red Sox -- albeit reluctantly.

Yesterday, affable, relaxed and as entertaining as ever, Martinez met with the media at Fenway Park for the first time since signing with the Mets in December 2004, just seven weeks after having helped the Sox to their first World Series title in 86 years.

Though he is well into his second season with New York, it was clear that the love affair between Martinez and Boston -- the players, fans and city -- hasn't died.

"The Red Sox' fans are true fans. I saw 86 years of agony from the fans here, and they were here every day, and that's why they have so much of my respect and so much of my care about them," Martinez said, adding that he has been treated much the same as he was when he wore a Sox uniform. Since arriving here on Monday "everybody embraced me, just like before. It's like I was playing for the Red Sox and I was only gone for a few days."

The masterful right-hander, who delivered several of the finest pitching performances in Red Sox history, recounted events and conversations he had both in the clubhouse and with principal owner John Henry and president Larry Lucchino.

"I had to go on and the Red Sox had to go on. That was a business decision, and even though my feelings were here -- and this is not the only time I'm going to express it -- I said, before the season was over, before we won the championship, my heart was here in Boston and I wanted to stay in Boston, and that was a big mistake," he said. "And I said it before the World Series was over; every game I had seemed like my last time in Boston. And I know I kept saying, 'I don't want to leave Boston, I don't want to leave Boston, but for business;' that was a bad word.

"Because I think that the way the Red Sox tried to negotiate with me, I guess they took that into consideration: 'Well, he doesn't want to leave Boston, I guess he'll take whatever we give him.' Probably the Red Sox would have negotiated a different way if they didn't know that I was so passionate about staying here. If I said, 'If you don't pay me, I'm going to leave,' they probably make the right move and we can work it out.

"I was speaking from my heart (saying) I want to stay in Boston. That didn't work."

Martinez said he and Henry have not spoken since Martinez left the Sox.

"But I wish he was here right now so I could say to him that I got four years. And Lucchino. I wish he was right here so I could tell him again like I did before when I tilted my glasses down and I said, 'I got four years' and he (didn't believe me.)"

"I told him I got four years. After that they were leaving for Winter Meetings, so now you know how much time they had to work it out. I remember John Henry saying, 'I don't care how many years. Just get it done.' Those were his exact words."

Martinez is the second high-profile former Sox player to return to Fenway this year, and his reception was clearly better than that of Johnny Damon, who was greeted with boos when he played here with the Yankees.

During his press conference, Martinez said he would understand if the Fenway faithful booed him, because they are "the most faithful I have ever seen. . . . If they don't (cheer for me), I'll just have to say they're doing it to back up their team, which is the Red Sox, not the Mets."

He got his answer fairly quickly, however. As he roamed the field during batting practice, the early crowd cheered him, and before the second inning a video montage of his days with the team concluded with a message saying, "Welcome back and welcome always, Pedro Martinez."

The fans called him out of the dugout and gave him a huge ovation; Martinez waved and hugged himself as a way of showing his love.

smanza@projo.com / (401) 277-7340