By Rob Gloster
The Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO - Jeff Kent tried to set up some ground rules: no questions about his past, only about the present.

What? No questions about his sometimes stormy relationship with former teammate Barry Bonds, or about the phantom motorcycle accident? Or about his six seasons with the Giants, when he and Bonds formed one of the most feared duos in baseball.

"I don't like to dwell too much on the past," he said moments before taking the field at Pacific Bell Park for the first time as a visitor. "At the end of the day, all I want to do is play baseball. Play the game."

Kent returned to San Francisco on Monday night as a member of the Houston Astros. He tried to keep as low a profile as possible, even though he knew just about everyone in the park would be focusing on him.

He accepted his World Series ring hours before the game in a private meeting with Giants assistant general manager Ned Colletti. He waited until the last possible minute to take the field for batting practice, after the Giants had left the field.

And when he appeared for infield practice before the game, he was one of the few Astros wearing a warmup jacket on a chilly, wind-swept night. The name "Kent" on his uniform was hidden from fans' sight.

Kent, who received a mix of boos and cheers from fans, went 1-for-2 with two walks and drove in Houston's first run in a 4-2 loss.

Kent said returning to the city where he won an MVP award and drove in 689 runs in six years was not that big a deal. In fact, he said, facing the Cubs and former manager Dusty Baker will be tougher.

"I think I'll have more emotions playing against Dusty than I will here in San Francisco," he said. "You learn to control and you learn to deal with the emotions."

Kent, a three-time All-Star with the Giants and the 2000 NL MVP, hit .299 and averaged 29 homers in his six seasons in San Francisco.

But he had a testy relationship with some teammates, and scuffled in the dugout with Bonds during a game in San Diego last summer. He later said it was just one of several scrapes he had with Bonds, whom he accused publicly last year of being standoffish.

And Kent's image was tarnished when he told the team during 2002 spring training that he injured his wrist while washing his truck, although later reports indicated he was hurt when he fell off his motorcycle.

Kent and Bonds never crossed paths before the game.

"I don't trip off that stuff," Bonds said of Kent's return.

Kent said he expected a mixed reception from fans, many of whom resent him for turning down a longer offer from the Giants to sign a two-year, $18.2 million deal with the Astros as a free agent.

And that's exactly what he got. As he walked to the plate in the first inning, he was met with a loud round of boos. But applause soon drowned out the boos, and many fans stood to cheer the former Giant.

"I'm wearing a different color. I won't hold it against anybody if they boo. I'm the opposing player," he said before the game. "But I think people appreciate what I did in the past. The fans of baseball appreciate me."