FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Melvin Mora's body language has been the gauge, the telltale sign to decipher the Orioles' fortunes without looking at the scoreboard or standings. And far too often the past 2 1/2 seasons, Mora's slumped shoulders and dour demeanor have revealed all anybody needs to know about the Orioles.

However, since arriving at spring training camp last week, Mora has worn a look of confidence and focus. He has mixed smiles with laughs off the field and maintained a no-nonsense approach on it.

"I'm more excited this year," Mora said yesterday. "I'm happy with the way that they brought all the new pitchers in here because that's what it's all about: pitching.

"I'm happy that a new season is coming. I'm happy because I'm healthy. And I'm happy because that's just the way I am. I'm a happy person. We have a lot of young guys that have given us a lot of energy here."

Mora's better mood and focus have been welcome additions at Orioles camp. It also represents a change of outlook from November, when the longest-tenured Oriole publicly expressed his frustration with the club. In an interview with The Sun, the veteran third baseman said he would consider waiving his no-trade clause to be on a winning team, complained about clubhouse chemistry and criticized Dave Trembley, saying that he felt disrespected by the Orioles' manager.

Since then, Mora has done and said all the right things. He publicly supported president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail's trades of Miguel Tejada and Erik Bedard. He has been focused and workmanlike on the field, taking extra fielding practice long after other position players finished their daily work.

And he has been loose and good-natured in the clubhouse, spending time talking and joking with the younger players, specifically young shortstop and fellow Venezuelan Luis Hernandez. Mora has conferred regularly with Trembley, lauding him for being a good communicator and saying he hopes Trembley remains the Orioles manager for several seasons.

"I see Melvin taking on a lot of responsibility, helping out with some of the younger guys," Trembley said. "I see Melvin being businesslike, cooperative. He has a different and very good look about him. It's been really nice to see."

Teammate Kevin Millar said Mora came into camp with a "different focus."

"He's got a good attitude on his shoulders right now," Millar said. "It's only been four or five days, but I've seen a change. I think with Tejada not here, he understands that he needs to take a leadership role."

Trembley spoke with Mora early last week and urged him to be a leader and take more accountability on the field and in the clubhouse.

"What I talked to him about was the same thing that I talked about with Ramon [Hernandez]," Trembley said. "To me, leadership means assuming responsibility. That's what I tried to tell him that I want. I want him to be responsible for things that happen in this clubhouse and things that happen on the field. I think the example and the tone that he sets by what he does, the other guys will feed off of. He's been really good so far."

Mora, 36, said he plans to do "more things" for the 2008 Orioles and said he will take his leadership role seriously. But he also was more than willing to have fun yesterday when pressed about a variety of topics.

With a huge smile on his face, he predicted he will hit 40 home runs and drive in 200 runs - yes, 200 - this season, playfully chastising a reporter who laughed about his prediction. He described himself as a fine wine - "the older I get, the better I get" - and maintained that he'll play until he's 47.

"I feel very young," said Mora, who is signed through the 2009 season. "I feel like I'm 18 again. Believe me, these guys have a lot of energy and they make me feel young again."

Still, Mora's numbers have been declining steadily. He had a career year in 2004, hitting .340 with 27 home runs and 104 RBIs. He followed that up by batting .283 with 27 homers and 88 RBIs in 2005.

He hit .274 with 16 home runs and 83 RBIs in 2006, and his numbers dipped further last season - .274 with 14 homers and 58 RBIs. He missed more than a month with a sprained foot.

An extremely proud player, Mora has either ignored or hasn't heard the talk in baseball circles that he is on the downside of his career. He blamed his output last season on not being healthy.

"I don't hear anybody questioning me," he said. "I've had a great year every year. I've proven it already. What do I still have to prove?"

Mora, on the other hand, knows his team has plenty to prove. But he scoffs at the notion that getting younger will translate to the Orioles getting worse. He also reiterated that he has no plans to drop his no-trade clause and approach MacPhail with a trade demand.

"The reason I wouldn't go to Andy MacPhail is, first of all, I'm a professional. Second, I can win in an Orioles uniform," Mora said. "Some people may say, 'Yeah, right.' But my question to all those people who say that we have no chance is: 'So why are we here? We should go home then.' We have a lot of young players here, but they are hungry. I think we're going to win a lot of games. I really don't care what other people think."

jeff.zrebiec@baltsun.com