TAMPA – It was the best mood reporters have seen from him this spring. George Steinbrenner expressed his excitement about the Yankees’ highly anticipated exhibition opener, gave credit to his subordinates (and the enemy Red Sox) and acknowledged he’d try to soothe Gary Sheffield’s displeasure over his contract.

In other words, this was no bleep show.

Wearing his trademark shades and sitting in the driver’s seat of the golf cart he’s lead-footed around Legends Field, the Boss seemed downright ecstatic that spring training games start today.

Of course, Steinbrenner is a bottom-line guy who doesn’t stray from the big picture.

“I’m looking forward to getting back in, getting back on track and going after what we know we should’ve done last year,” Steinbrenner said.

The Yankee owner waxed poetic about Randy Johnson, who won’t start this afternoon’s opener against Pittsburgh due to left calf tightness. Steinbrenner credited general manager Brian Cashman and manager Joe Torre for convincing him to ignore Carlos Beltran and improve the starting rotation.

“…but I also saw that we didn’t do what we should’ve done last year pitching(-wise),” he quickly added. “We’ll do it this year.”

A lot of that depends on the 41-yearold Johnson’s health. He said he’s feeling fine and should be ready to go next Tuesday. Steinbrenner said he “believed in” the Yankees’ oft-rebuffed but ultimately successful efforts to acquire Johnson from Arizona.

“I always liked Randy Johnson,” he said. “I mean, geez, I just cherished him.

“I always wanted him over here.”

Unlike past interactions with reporters this spring, he didn’t hightail it away or curse. On Saturday, he uttered “(Bleep) the agent” about Giambi’s representation, Arn Tellem.

The mercurial shipbuilder was jolly during a three-minute interaction, occasionally zinging media members with one-liners. One scribe hustled out of the lunchroom with a roll in his hand in order to get Steinbrenner.

“It’s an exciting time for everybody who’s connected – including guys who eat sandwiches when they’re talking to me,” the Boss said.

Steinbrenner followed up with the same reporter later, asking, “Are you done with lunch?”

When another reporter asked a Sheffield-related question with the disclaimer, “I’m not his agent, of course,” the Boss retorted, “You sound like it.”

He has no plans to address his team this spring, even though he often paced around a rapt clubhouse when he was younger.

“No, I think they understand where I’m coming from and what I’m looking for,” he said. “So I think we’ll be fine.”

Steinbrenner’s comments came about 90 minutes after the Yankees finished their final preparations on a gloriously sunny but unseasonably crisp day at camp. The weather warmed up to the 60s by mid-afternoon and was certainly better than being buried in snow.

“I wish New York feels like that in April,” said Mariano Rivera, who looked increasingly sharp over 12 minutes of live BP on a back field.

Over on the main diamond at Legends, players honed their batting strokes before their abbreviated day ended just after 11 a.m.

The grounds crew then finely manicured the infield. A crisply painted white “NY” behind home plate awaited today’s sellout crowd.

“I think we’re ready to get games going,” said John Flaherty, who will catch today in place of Jorge Posada (neck). “There’s only so many drills that we can do.”

There simply is more anticipation as a member of George M. Steinbrenner’s Yankees, even when it’s just a spring training game.

“You feel adrenaline, you feel excitement, you feel ready to play,” Flaherty said.

Or as longtime Yankee Bernie

Williams put it, “It’s like a mini-Opening Day, so to speak.”