Tino Martinez was the unobtrusive spark behind the 1995 Mariners, his quiet intensity and behind-the-scenes cajoling providing the jolt the team occasionally needed.

Martinez was also a huge, hidden clubhouse presence on those great Yankees championship teams of recent vintage, the living example of how to survive and thrive under the white-hot New York spotlight.

You wouldn't guess it, but Martinez was not above getting in the face of a malingering teammate, and they learned to leave him alone when he simmered after a key strikeout or error. What shined through was just how much Martinez cared, and it helped make everyone else care that much, too.

"We had such great chemistry when I was there, and Tino was a huge part of it," said Jeff Nelson, who rose through the minors with Martinez and went with him to New York in '96 in the still-lamented salary dump for Russ Davis and Sterling Hitchcock. "He just makes everyone better. He never wanted to leave."

But Jason Giambi was the hot new flavor on the market in 2002, and owner George Steinbrenner decided he had to have him, bidding against himself on a seven-year, $120 million contract that currently haunts the Yankees to no end. Martinez, his services no longer needed after four titles, moved on, reluctantly, to the St. Louis Cardinals.

They drifted a bit during his three-year absence, by Yankees standards, losing a division series, a World Series and an American League Championship Series. And Martinez drifted a bit, too, in St. Louis and Tampa Bay, by all appearances chugging to the end of a noble career.

And then, something amazing happened. Re-signed by the Yankees this winter, mainly to serve as a bench player and spot starter behind Giambi, Martinez has emerged as the hottest bat in baseball, and at age 37, the heartwarming comeback story of 2005.

With Giambi's career in such disrepair that the Yankees tried last week to get him to go the minors, Martinez has not just taken over his old role as the everyday first baseman; he has grabbed it by the throat and shaken it into submission. His teammates have taken to call him "C.C.", for curtain calls, which have been frequent and robust at Yankee Stadium.

Heading into last night's game against the Mariners at Safeco Field, Martinez had eight home runs in his last eight games, and a staggering 10 home runs in his previous 38 at-bats.

His slugging percentage of .657 entering last night was 80 points higher than his career best of .577 in 1997, when he hit 44 home runs. Tino stands tied with another ex-Mariner, Alex Rodriguez, for the major-league lead with 12 homers, and seems poised for his first All-Star appearance since 1997.

Martinez has helped the Yankees weather their greatest crisis of the last decade, a stretch of miserable performances that left them tied for last place with Tampa Bay at 11-19 and threatened to unleash Steinbrenner in a torrent of firings.

Coinciding with Martinez's hot streak has been the winning streak the Yankees extended to nine at Safeco last night, pulling them back to .500 and back into contention in the AL East.

It has also allowed Martinez — who had a single in four at-bats last night — to re-assert his leadership role in the Yankees clubhouse, a status that he felt he had to re-earn.

"Unless he's contributing, he's a little hesitant to be that guy," Yankees manager Joe Torre said. "He's not afraid of it, but he likes to feel good about himself. This little run he's on now, I think, makes him feel a little bit better about being more of a spokesperson.

"He doesn't make demands; he just kind of subtly will talk to people about certain things."

Martinez, who faced intense pressure from Day 1 in New York, replacing retiring legend Don Mattingly in 1996, is unabashed about his fondness for New York and all it represents.

"It's a great situation," he said. I love playing for Joe Torre, I love playing in Yankee Stadium. It's a great place to play; it's the greatest place in the world to play. I'm excited to be back there and have this opportunity again."

This current power surge is as inexplicable to him as it is gratifying to his teammates.

"I'm just feeling good; there's no magical answer," he said. "I'm seeing the ball well, taking good swings. But there's nothing I've changed, nothing I'm doing different."

For the Yankees, the same old Tino is the best gift they could possibly have.

Larry Stone: 206-464-3146 or lstone@seattletimes.com.