"Last year on Mother's Day, Russell Martin hadn't gotten his mom, Susanne, a present in advance, so he did the next best thing. He hit a home run and said it was all for her.

She was at the Stadium last month to see her son's first home run as a Yankee.

"I always seem to hit a home run when she's around," Martin said. "I've got to bring her out to the park more often."

She was home in Montreal on Sunday; her son hasn't had to fly her around the American League to maintain his solid spring.

Martin passed his home run total from last year with the Dodgers when he belted his sixth on April 23 (he hit two at Baltimore). Suddenly, Martin felt like the kid who used to dominate during the short summers in Canada.

His parents separated when he was a toddler, and from ages 8 to 10, Martin lived primarily in Paris with his mom.

"I would come back in the summertime with my dad and play baseball," said Martin, who did not play Sunday. "But I'd be, like, 20 pounds heavier after eating chocolate croissants every day before school. I was hitting homers, though."

Martin's early-season power has been the only real surprise for general manager Brian Cashman, who signed the catcher to a one-year deal in December.

"He's a gamer, a Thurman Munson-type," said Cashman, who had inquired on Martin in seasons past — prior to the Dodgers' decision to non-tender him last winter. "The guy plays hard, and when he's healthy he's an All-Star.""