TAMPA — Andy Pettitte has some lofty goals for 2013 — like turning back the clock.
“I hope to throw 200 innings and make all my starts and heck, I want to win 20 games,” Pettitte said yesterday at Steinbrenner Field.
For a pitcher who hasn’t put up those kinds of numbers since 2008 and will turn 41 in June, Pettitte has some outlandish ambitions. They likely would have been more unrealistic if Pettitte had gone against the Yankees’ wishes and decided to play for Joe Torre in the World Baseball Classic.
“As badly as I wanted to play and as excited as I was about playing, I thought about it and this team should be the focus,” Pettitte said. “I guess it just came down to not wanting to take that chance of something going wrong and then kicking yourself all year long. … If something goes wrong, you want it to go wrong while playing for this club.”
Though Pettitte said he felt in some ways this was “the perfect time” for him to participate in the WBC because he thought he was better suited than when he was younger to handle the situation, the lefty can concentrate on preparing for the regular season.
PHOTOS: YANKEES SPRING TRAINING
VOTE: HOW MANY GAMES WILL THE YANKEES AND METS WIN THIS YEAR?
At this time a year ago, Pettitte was just a guest instructor at spring training. Weeks later, he agreed to a $2.5 million contract. After a season marred by a fractured leg, Pettitte is back for one more season — this time, for $12 million.
Beyond that, he made no guarantees.
“As I sit here right now, I would say I hope this is it,” Pettitte said. “But having gone through this and done this [before], I’m not gonna shut it down unless I’m sure I’m done with this.”
Pettitte said he doesn’t anticipate making up his mind until after the season, unless an injury forces him out.
“My arm and body were feeling great before I broke my leg and I feel like I can do what I normally do,” Pettitte said. “I feel like I’m better now than I was at age 30. Obviously, things hurt a little bit more and it takes longer to recover, but as far as being able to put the ball where I want it to go and being able to read swings and handle things over the course of a game. … I wouldn’t have come back if I didn’t feel I could do what I’ve just been doing.”
While Pettitte may be at peace with his decision to stay away from the WBC, he still has lingering feelings toward it.
“I never had a chance to play for my country,” Pettitte said. “I know a lot of people might think that’s not a big deal at all, but it’s a big deal to me.”
In the end, not as big as keeping his bosses happy.
“I feel like I don’t do a real good job of winning the arguments whenever they come to me with stuff,” Pettitte said.
dan.
martin@nypost.com