TAMPA — Same tent. Far different atmosphere.
Last year Alex Rodriguez sat in an event tent on the grounds of George M. Steinbrenner Field and told the world about his steroid use as a Ranger.
Today, in the same tent, Rodriguez will continue the habit he acquired last year of saying nothing that will land on the back page of The Post.
“It will be a lot different,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. “Obviously, he went through a lot last year. He has to feel a little bit different coming into this spring training than last spring training. He seems pretty much in the same spot. He is at peace like he was last fall. He is happy, great shape and energy [yesterday]. It seemed like he had a lot of fun being back on the field.”
On the first day of full-squad workouts, Rodriguez started early. Robinson Cano and Rodriguez worked out before Girardi gathered his players for a pre-workout talk.
* Girardi wasn’t long-winded talking to his players but he highlighted the positives that emerged from winning the Yankees’ 27th World Series.
“So many times when you sit around and evaluate you talk about the things that went wrong and don’t evaluate the things that went right,” Girardi said. “We talked about the things that went right. It’s important there are new faces and new challenges in front of us because every season is different. We start 0-0 like everybody else.”
* Girardi was looking forward to the life that position players bring to camp but much of that was missing when Nick Swisher‘s music system failed to pump out the paint-peeling music he played a year ago through Johnny Damon‘ssystem.
“Swish forgot a cord, he promised me he would have it [today],” Girardi said.
* Though Brett Gardner is the left field favorite, the competition isn’t closed.
“Gardy still has to go out and win the job and play at a high level because we feel we have depth and guys who want to play every day,” Girardi said.
The left-handed hitting Gardner will face challenges from switch-hitter Randy Winn and right-handed hitting Marcus Thames.
* Every hitter beside the catchers has had one official batting practice session (yesterday) going into today’s live batting practice against pitchers, an exercise that should be called pitchers practice for all the swinging that will take place.
* Derek Jeter, Curtis Granderson, Francisco Cervelli and Cano took batting practice on the main field while Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira and Jorge Posada hit on the back field.
* CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Javier Vazquez threw bullpen sessions. . . . No official word when reliever Chan Ho Park will arrive.