It's no lie, things are bigger in Texas.

From cowboy hats to oil wells to lies and football losses, not much can compare to the sheer gargantuan nature of things in the Lone Star State.

But the biggest of them all is Alex Rodriguez's 10-year, $252 million contract to play shortstop for the Texas Rangers.

Make no mistake about it, if anyone is worth that kind of money it's A-Rod (a .305 hitter with 125 home runs and 367 RBI in the last three seasons).

After waiting all winter, salivating over the addition of baseball's best player to the lineup, Rangers fans got their first taste of what life will be like with A-Rod this Sunday.

That's when the Rangers officially kicked off the 2001 Major League Baseball season by playing the Toronto Blue Jays in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

The Rangers lost 8-1.

Wipe your mouths and break out the facial tissues, Rangers fans, and prepare for more of the same.

It's not A-Rod's fault the Rangers got hammered on opening day.

Yeah, his first throw of the season short-hopped first baseman Rafael Palmeiro and rolled to the wall, and Rodriguez did trip twice because of faulty spikes.

But the millionaire 252-times over did go 2-for-4 and scored a run (the first and last for the Rangers on Sunday).

Besides, the Rangers want A-Rod for his bat.

No matter how good A-Rod is, he can't pitch (who knows, maybe he could pitch for Texas).

The Rangers have more offensive weapons than most countries and may be able to light up the score board, but losing 15-14 is still losing.

Last year the Rangers' pitching staff gave up 974 runs (more than six per game), good enough for 14th (aka last) in the American League.

Don't think pitching is important? Ask the Yankees and the Braves.

Soon the blame will come.

At the cost of $129,630 per game, A-Rod better expect to take some heat.

The Rangers have mortgaged almost everything to build the next dynasty around the 25-year-old A-Rod and the best catcher of all-time, Ivan Rodriguez.

The cost - $252 million and a pitching staff. No team (except the Yankees) can afford to invest that much money in one player and still field a competitive pitching staff.

A-Rod may be set for life financially, but he is now in a no-win situation until the Rangers start to win consistently.

Fans will expect him to go 3-for-4 every other day with at least one home run.

If he doesn't, then speculation will fly about whether A-Rod is more concerned about his stock portfolio or his game.

A-Rod had it good from 1994-99 as a member of the Seattle Mariners, playing Robin to Ken Griffey Jr.'s Batman.

Now that Griffey is a Cincinnati Red and A
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