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Martinez measures up when he takes the mound PAUL SOKOLOSKI OPINION

Friday October 30, 2009 | 01:00 AM

Paul Sokoloski psokoloski@timesleader.com

His reputation is of a baseball giant because of his ability to turn even the mightiest hitter into a mouse.

In reality, Pedro Martinez is a slight man, standing just 5-foot-10, 190 pounds.

“I’m a human being after I take my clothes off,” Martinez said.

And when he saw an infuriated, aging New York Yankees coach named Don Zimmer charging at him like some kind of wild bull during a 2003 playoff brawl, Martinez grabbed the old man by the head and flung him to the grass.

“I just had to react and defend myself,” Martinez said of the infamous incident he triggered as a Boston Red Sox pitcher who hit a Yankee batter with a pitch. “Zim charged me ... was trying to punch my mouth and told me a couple bad words about my mom.”

New York has been bad-mouthing Pedro a villain ever since.

The city never forgave him for that incident with Zimmer, and probably won’t absolve him anytime soon for what Martinez did to the New York Yankees on Thursday night.

He came back to New York as a member of the Philadelphia Phillies, and threatened to leave the world championship hopes of the Yankees rolling around on the ground just like their old coach, although this Yankee club got back up and went up 3-1 after Martinez left the mound in the seventh inning.

While he was on it, Martinez was marvelous while giving the Phillies everything they expected. He struck out eight batters and allowed just two runs through six innings of Game 2 of the World Series in a performance out of his remarkable past that took Martinez to a 219-100 lifetime record.

He nearly struck out the side in the first inning during his first time pitching in the new Yankee Stadium, as only Mark Teixeira’s weak, inning-ending popout prevented it. Martinez allowed just one single over the first three innings, keeping the Yankees mystified by his magic on the mound.

Of course, Martinez exited trailing 2-1, thanks to solo homers by Teixeira and Hideki Matsui, before the Yankees improved their lead to 3-1 after he left. But if this is what the Yankees have to look forward to from Martinez later in the World Series, they really can’t be too comfortable.

“That’s what Pedro does,” Yankees catcher Jorge Posada said. “He’s going to give his team a chance to win.”

Martinez does that a little differently these days.

For a long time when he was with the Red Sox, and for a brief time as a member of the New York Mets, Martinez made his reputation with a fastball that darted into the mid-90s and a bravado that was unmatched.

But if he didn’t lose any faith in himself after injuries threatened his career and the Phillies were the only team willing to sign him late this season, then he certainly lost something off his fastball.

“Well, I’m not as powerful as I used to be,” Martinez said. “I have a hard time clicking 94 (mph). But I don’t believe I need 94 to be honest.”

He didn’t need it Thursday.

Martinez’s 88 mph fastball snuck past Derek Jeter for strike three to lead off the game, a beautiful curveball caught Alex Rodriguez looking to start the second and the Yankees couldn’t figure out what was coming next as he set down five of six batters through the third.

Even after Teixeira got him for a leadoff homer in the fourth inning, Martinez came back to keep the Yankees quiet.

“He was one of the most dominating pitchers for a long time,” said outfielder Johnny Damon, who played alongside Martinez with the Red Sox and squared off against him while batting second for the Yankees on Thursday.

For the most part, Martinez had command of the Yankees.

He was working on a four-hitter through six innings, until tiring in the seventh while keeping a hard-hitting Yankee lineup pretty quiet.

It was a different story with their fans.

“Who’s your dad-dy?” a stadium full of fans chanted at Pedro as he left the mound in the seventh inning.

He’s the one who actually brought it upon himself, by uttering in frustration "Just call the Yankees my daddy" after a dejecting loss while pitching for Boston in 2004.

“You know, anytime I hear that ‘Who’s your daddy?’ it really reminds me that God is my daddy,” said Martinez, who calls himself a man of Christian faith. “It gives me strength. And I believe I can do anything.”

Through six solid innings Thursday, Martinez basically did what he wanted. It’s hard to believe the Yankees want to see him again.