First impressions: Jason Giambi drew a crowd of reporters. Tino Martinez drew a standing ovation from the crowd. For each player, linked by a free-agent shuffle, opening day offered a taste of a whole new world. (Baseball).

Call it a glove triangle of first basemen. Jason Giambi was Mark McGwire's successor with the A's. Over the winter, Giambi replaced Tino Martinez with the Yankees. Martinez, in turn, replaced McGwire, who retired from the Cardinals.

As the 2002 season dawned, the Yankees and Cardinals were linked not just by their potent lineups, quality rotations and World Series expectations. They also were linked by their new first basemen, Giambi and Martinez, the central figures in an offseason free-agent shuffle.

Martinez, a vital part of four world championship clubs with the Yankees, signed with the Cardinals for three years and $21 million--or $99 million less than Giambi received over seven years from the Yankees. Yet, it was Martinez who appeared to experience greater pressure in spring training, batting .180 with no home runs and two RBIs in 61 at-bats. Unlike Giambi, Martinez faces the burden of changing leagues.

Giambi, the winter's top free agent, also had a less than stellar spring (.196, two homers, eight RBIs in 51 at-bats). His problems, however, were partly attributable to nagging left hamstring and calf injuries. But Giambi's transition from the A's frat house to the Yankees' board room went as smoothly as could be expected.

Though they clearly will be linked all season, Martinez and Giambi spent opening day half of a continent apart, the first day of a season both men would like to see end in late October.

Jason Giambi sat at his locker before his first game with the Yankees, chatting quietly with his personal trainer, Bob Alejo, and third baseman Robin Ventura. Derek Jeter relaxed on a couch, reading a newspaper. Other Yankees tended to their business, calmly preparing for another championship run.

The scene was quite a departure from…