MIAMI (AP) – Instead of bartering with teammates for their unused tickets for Boston’s weekend series against the Florida Marlins, Mike Lowell simply purchased enough to accommodate his friends and family.

How many?

“About 34,000,” Lowell said.

Well, it wasn’t that big a homecoming – Lowell only bought 120 seats. Still, he and Red Sox teammates Alex Gonzalez and Josh Beckett were clearing enjoying the moment Friday, when they returned to their former home park for the first time since being cut loose in the Marlins’ salary purge this past offseason.

Lowell and Gonzalez were both in the lineup Friday, occupying the left side of the infield together as they did for years in Miami. Beckett is not scheduled to pitch this weekend, but said he was looking forward to being back nonetheless.

“There was a lot of nice people that I met down here,” Beckett said. “A lot of opportunities were brought forth to me by this organization. It’s all a positive thing for me.”

They were received warmly; many fans wore jerseys – both of the Red Sox and Marlins variety – with their names stitched across the back. Florida third baseman Miguel Cabrera posed for photos with Gonzalez near the left-field line during warmups, then playfully tried to tackle his former teammate.

And many in the bigger-than-usual crowd – fueled by a bevy of Boston fans – chanted “Let’s Go Red Sox” as the game began.

“Good to be back,” Gonzalez said.

Lowell and Beckett were traded to Boston on Nov. 24 in the deal that sent Hanley Ramirez – Florida’s new starting shortstop – and top pitching prospect Anibal Sanchez to the Marlins. Gonzalez signed with Boston before spring training as a free agent.

Lowell spent seven seasons in Florida, playing in his hometown and the city where he was a college standout at Florida International. He hit .272 with the Marlins, and put up career-best numbers of 32 home runs and 105 RBIs for the 2003 World Series champions.

“I had to ask where to park and which way to go. It was a little bit different,” Lowell said. “I found my way, sooner or later. Just a different feel. You go one way for so long and now you’re going in the opposite direction from a clubhouse standpoint. Little different, but it was nice.”

Gonzalez teamed with Luis Castillo – another part of last winter’s salary slash by the Marlins – to form one of the snazziest middle-infield combinations in the major leagues during his seven seasons in Florida, when he had a .968 fielding percentage. He probably began endearing himself to Red Sox fans in 2003, when he hit one of the most notable home runs in Marlins history – a line-drive, 12th-inning shot that ended Game 4 of the World Series and gave Florida a 4-3 victory. The Marlins went on to win that series in six games.

Beckett finished that series by throwing a five-hit shutout to win Game 6, 2-0 at Yankee Stadium. He was 41-34 in his four-plus seasons with the Marlins, who took the hard-throwing Texan with the second overall pick in the 1999 draft and watched him rise quickly through their organization.

“It’s a lot different now, in a lot of different ways,” Beckett said. “It’s all good things for me. It was definitely a good change. I’m happy where I’m at. I can’t imagine being any place better than with the Boston Red Sox.”

Beckett took a taxi to the ballpark Friday and passed some familiar locales – the pharmacy he used, his former grocery store, the home he continues to own.

Stepping out of the taxi, he encountered a not-so-happy memory – South Florida’s searing summer heat. Temperatures a couple hours before gametime were in the mid-80s, with plenty of humidity making the air so oppressive that Beckett sought refuge under a fan in the visitors’ dugout.

“Would have been nice to be here in April,” Beckett said, “when the weather’s decent.”

AP-ES-06-30-06 2008EDT