Steinbrenner Is Reticent About Decision : Reaction: He says he doesn’t want to detract from publicity being given to the Olympics.

George Steinbrenner has Olympic Fever. Or, as they say here, El Fiebre de Olimpico .

What else could it be? Steinbrenner, finally given official freedom from his nearly two-year banishment from the New York Yankees, responded Friday by offering a long and twisted “no comment.”

On the issue of his reinstatement he pleaded ignorance, so as not to swipe headlines from the Olympics.

He praised the mettle of the current Yankees, but stopped short of endorsing a long-term contract for Manager Buck Showalter.

He began by claiming to know nothing of an agreement faxed to reporters by major league baseball, apparently signed by his attorney Friday morning.

“I haven’t had the chance to talk to the people who are in charge of my situation,” Steinbrenner said outside the Hotel Victoria, where he is staying as a United States Olympic Committee vice president. “So I can’t have a comment. I don’t want to distract from these athletes in the Games.”

This comment came nearly three hours after Commissioner Fay Vincent had released a brief statement announcing Steinbrenner’s reinstatement, effective March 1. Before that, Steinbrenner’s attorney, Arnold Burns, had met with Vincent.

Steinbrenner said he had not spoken with Burns.

“He left for the weekend,” Steinbrenner said of his lawyer. “Where he went, I don’t know.”

Is Steinbrenner happy about the agreement?

“I don’t know,” he said. “I don’t know what I am.”

His reason: “I don’t want any other story than the athletes to come out. It’s my only concern. That’s all I can tell you. I’ll be very happy if we win a lot of medals. More than we won in Seoul. That’s my only concern.”

Well, not quite. As he prepared to climb into a USOC van on his way to an official dinner, Steinbrenner was asked about the Yankees. “As a fan,” said the questioner. Steinbrenner halted.

“Let me tell you something,” he said. “This is a young team. When you start to think that (Andy) Stankiewicz and young (Pat) Kelly have had to come in there. And we’ve had some injuries. You take any team in the major leagues and take away their projected No. 1 pitcher, (Pascual) Perez Sr., I’ll call him. Take away the No. 1 reliever, Steve Howe, and take away the other No. 1 reliever, Steve Farr, who’s been out two weeks. I defy any team in baseball to do as well as we have.”

Then the manager has done an exceptionally good job?

“I think the manager has done a good job,” Steinbrenner said. “I think my son-in-law (Joe Molloy) feels that way. He’s the guy who selected him. I made that clear.”

So Molloy wouldn’t want Showalter to get away?

“That’s up to Joe,” Steinbrenner said. “Joe’s a bright guy. In fact, he’s very bright. He studied to be a priest, but he won’t be pushed around by anybody. I think some people have already found that out.”

What people? Showalter, who reportedly met with Molloy recently? Who else?

Only Steinbrenner knows, and as he said, he has no comment.