updated 9:02 p.m. ET Aug. 8, 2006

NEW YORK - A grinning Mike Piazza emerged from the visitors’ dugout at Shea Stadium on Tuesday and paused. He put his index finger to his lips and motioned downward with his hands.

He couldn’t believe the reception he got in his first trip back to the Big Apple.

The former Mets star got a warm welcome from fans lining the seats along the third-base line to greet the San Diego catcher, who spent eight seasons in New York before signing with the Padres last offseason.

“I’m really excited to be back here,” Piazza said. “It’s a nice opportunity for me to say hi to all the fans that made my experience here amazing, something I’ll obviously cherish until the day I die. They’ll always be a part of me.”

A pregame tribute on the video board in left-center showed some of Piazza’s most memorable moments with the Mets, prompting more cheers. The 37-year-old slugger watched from the third-base line after warming up Padres starter Woody Williams in the bullpen.

He mouthed “Thank you” and waved to fans as they stood and clapped. He received another standing ovation before his first at-bat leading off the second inning, this time waving his batting helmet twice as cameras flashed all over the stadium.

Piazza struck out swinging, but the crowd cheered anyway as he made his way to the dugout.

“He was the face of the franchise for such a long time,” said New York third baseman David Wright, who grew up a Mets fan. “He wore this uniform with dignity, with class, with a lot of professionalism.”

More than an hour before the game, a large group of fans behind the Padres’ dugout chanted Piazza’s name and held up signs that read “Welcome Back Mike” and “Welcome home Mike. New York loves you and misses you” as Piazza joined his teammates for stretching. He briefly waved his cap as the cheers continued.

Piazza eventually ripped the hat off teammate Mike Cameron, also a former Met, and pushed him forward so he could be acknowledged by the crowd. After throwing with his teammates, Piazza moved his way from the outfield almost to the dugout, signing everything from baseballs to bobbleheads to jerseys.

“My expectations? I just want to come in, try and enjoy the experience and hopefully play well,” Piazza said. “But the main thing is just come here and just say hi to a lot of old friends.”

Piazza, a 12-time All-Star, is a career .310 hitter with 413 homers. He holds the major league record for home runs by a catcher with 390.

His $91 million, seven-year contract with the Mets expired after last season and he agreed to a $2 million, one-year deal with the Padres in January. During his last season in New York, he hit .251 with 19 homers and 62 RBIs in 113 games. It was his lowest batting average since he hit .232 in 69 at-bats with the Dodgers in 1992, his first season in the big leagues.

But he has enjoyed a bit of renaissance playing for NL West-leading San Diego, with a .297 batting average, 16 homers and 49 RBIs heading into Tuesday’s game.

Slide show   Week in Sports Pictures Football frenzy, surfing sensation, misery for Cubs fans, and more. more photos

“I’ve been getting a lot of rest,” Piazza said. “(Manager) Bruce Bochy is a former catcher, so he’s been really helping me out a lot as far as trying to get me to this point of the year and I think consequently my numbers are pretty good because of it.”

Piazza became a fan favorite at Shea after he was acquired by the Mets in a trade with Florida in May 1998. The deal with the Marlins occurred eight days after he was shipped from the Dodgers to Florida in a trade that also included Gary Sheffield, Bobby Bonilla, Charles Johnson and Todd Zeile.

Piazza led the Mets to the 2000 World Series, which they lost to the crosstown rival Yankees.

“Mike’s been a big part of the fabric of this town for a lot of years,” said Mets manager Willie Randolph, a coach with the Yankees when they won the championship in 2000. “Mike’s a class guy who’s done a lot for this organization and the city.”

MORE FROM BASEBALL

Baseball Section Front

Roll of the Dice sure pays off for Red Sox Rays can't come through in clutch in Game 1 Myers makes sure Phillies go up 2-0 in NLCS Manuel manages Phillies despite mom's death Dodgers seek home cooking to rally in NLCS Red Sox vs. Rays: You pick ALCS winner Phillies vs. Dodgers: You pick NLCS winner At Bat blog: Giving Lester and others their just due Canseco detained at U.S. border with fertility drug Analysis: Rays are best bet to win World Series Baseball Section Front   Add Baseball headlines to your news reader: