Under The Weather: Two down, 160 to go. . .

Some folks are REALLY into it. . .

Baseball season is upon us! Both the boys have started their little league seasons—E. with the Cubs, I. with the Rangers, particularly apt since these are their favorite major league teams.

But how could we resist the real Rangers—the boys from Arlington? No one is really giving them a strong chance to even make the playoffs this year, but, hell, it’s opening week of the 2009 season, and if spring isn’t the time for optimism, then when is?

Hope is high for Elvis Andrus, whose likeness already adorns a banner at the Ballpark. . .

I. won a baseball cap throwing a ball at the Kids’ play area at the Ballpark. . .

The Rangers opened strong with a 9-1 win against the Cleveland Indians on Monday—their first opening-day win in quite a few years. We headed out Wednesday night for the second game of the year, and the Rangers ran their record to 2-0 for the first time since 1996, beating the Indians 9-5.

Let’s say it early this season, because who knows how much longer we can: The Rangers are leading the American League West.

Ranger pitching was strong in both games, Kevin Millwood working seven innings and throwing 113 pitches in the opener, Vincente Padilla going 5 2/3rds, giving up one run, and hurling over 100 pitches in the second game.

Nelson Cruz crosses home plate for the first of two home runs. . .

Rangers offense Wednesday was, as you’d expect it, strong: Josh Hamilton hit a solid triple, and the perpetual rookie Nelson Cruz, back up to the majors for at least the dozenth time, hit two home runs and made a spectacular backhanded running catch in the outfield, a highlight in a Rangers defense that was at times shaky, with Michael Young throwing away what should’ve been an easy play to first base, and Elvis Andrus making a fielding error as well (one of the major concerns going into the year was the move of Young to third to move the 20-year-old Andrus to shortstop. Andrus made a ton of errors last year in Double-A Frisco).

But what the hell—the Rangers are off to a great start. We’ll cross fingers with injury-prone Brandon McCarthy starting Thursday afternoon, but even leaving The Temple for a series in Detroit at 2-1 is better than we’ve come to expect from them in recent years.

It’s great to have Baseball back in our lives.