Kansas City, Mo. ? Jim Leyland’s office. It’s one of my favorite places in baseball, same as it was 20 years ago when he was rookie manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The man has a way of making you feel comfortable right away and maybe that’s his gift as a manager. He has a way of making you feel like you’re doing your job well, which makes you want to do it even better.

Leyland has a dry sense of humor, an aversion to platitudes, and, almost always, a winning ballclub. Now, more than ever, it’s difficult to believe he’s managing a winner.

With Leyland back in the dugout for the first time since he managed the Colorado Rockies in 1999, the Detroit Tigers are Major League Baseball’s biggest surprise, though not to their manager.

Before Tuesday night’s game against the woeful Kansas City Royals, Leyland went off on a tangent. His basic message: Counting a man’s wrinkles is no way to determine whether he’s old.

“I’m getting tired of people talking about how I’m an old man,” Leyland said. “I’m not an old man. That (ticks) me off. I’m not an old man. I’ve got a lot of energy. I’m 61 years old. I can play basketball. I can still throw a football. I can play golf. I’ve got two young kids I chase all around the yard. Everybody talks about me like I’m an old goat. I’m not an old goat and it (ticks) me off. I get tired of hearing about it. I look old because I smoke and smoking makes your face look old. I don’t really care. I’m tired of hearing about it. I can probably stay out later than anybody in this room, if you want to know the truth.”

Leyland is also youthful in this respect: You never hear him yearning for yesteryear, never hear him disparage the younger generation.

“I don’t think the players are any different than they were in 1903,” Leyland said. “Some guys could play hurt in 1903 and some guys couldn’t. Some guys in 2006 can play hurt and some guys can’t. … I’m having a ball. I love baseball. I love the players. I always have. I’ve managed 25 years in professional baseball and I can count on one hand the players I didn’t care for.”

Barry Bonds, despite the shouting match between the men shown frequently on ESPN, is not among the five. Leyland keeps in touch with Bonds and Tuesday reminisced about a time Bonds, at the age of about 25, showed up for a charity basketball game, took 21 three-point shots before the game, and made 19.

“I’m having a good time,” Leyland said. “I really am. I’m into it. My heart starts racing in close games. That’s how you know you’re into it.”

Asked to name the most enjoyable aspect of his return, Leyland smiled and said, “Nine shutouts before Memorial Day.”

The Oakland A’s rank second in the American League with four shutouts. The Tigers came out of the night with a 31-14 record, best in baseball and one game ahead of the World Champion Chicago White Sox in the AL Central. A baseball manager can’t create talent. He can remove insecurities, thus enabling the talent to bloom.

Winning is one of Leyland’s addictions, dragging on Marlboros another. He’s been coughing the past few days.

“I had some allergy thing and I think it turned into a little bronchitis,” he said. “I don’t think it’s got anything to do with the three cartons I smoke a day.”