Angels Can’t Get Over Hill in Loss

It’s not easy being A-Rod.

When you are the highest-paid baseball player ever, when you have accepted $252 million over 10 years to be the Texas Rangers’ shortstop, all sorts of people have all sorts of expectations. And they always call you A-Rod, not Alex Rodriguez. And you’re not a shortstop. You are the guy who makes $252 million.

So they expect you not to trip over your shoelaces.

That happened to A-Rod in the Rangers’ season-opening loss to the Toronto Blue Jays in Puerto Rico on Sunday.

A-Rod’s shoelaces did not get in his way Tuesday when the Rangers played their home opener.

Neither did the baseball during three of A-Rod’s at-bats.

He struck out three times.

But, as A-Rod pointed out, he has three hits in eight at-bats. Not that he’s counting. Everybody else will do that for him. How much is A-Rod making per strikeout? Per hit? Per trip over shoelaces? Per sunflower seeds spit or not spit. Per ticket sold or not sold. Per just about anything.

It’s not easy being A-Rod.

When you make more money than anybody has ever made playing a sport that includes a ball, people notice things.

People say things about how A-Rod might not even be the best shortstop playing right now. How about Derek Jeter or Nomar Garciaparra? OK, Garciaparra isn’t technically playing right now since he’s had surgery. But A-Rod might have surgery some day too. And then what?

How much is A-Rod making per stitch, maybe?

People say Jeter is more of a leader and Garciaparra more of a star. They say Jeter dates Miss Universe and Nomar has that really cool first name. That’s what happens when you make so much money. Every little thing is analyzed. It’s not easy being A-Rod.

And people notice other things, lots of things.

Like how, even though the Rangers defeated the Angels, 3-2, in their home opener, that Darin Erstad, with his three hits and his leaping catch to save a possible home run, was the best player on the field.

Not A-Rod.

“Darin is a very good player,” A-Rod says. “Very good.”

Is he $252-million good?

A-Rod just stared. No answer.

They notice that I-Rod--that’s Ivan Rodriguez, the Texas catcher who’s not related to A-Rod and who’s even losing his own nickname, which is Pudge--received more of an ovation than A-Rod when the whole team was announced.

Well, of course he did. Pudge has been a loyal Ranger and has accomplished things for the Rangers. “Pudge is the most popular guy here,” A-Rod says. “Pudge is Mr. Ranger. That’s how it should be.”

A-Rod is always having to be careful to say the right thing. He speaks in a monotone. He seems to run every word through a special part of the brain that will shout “Danger, danger,” if a word or phrase might displease one of his lower-paid teammates. And they’re all lower-paid.

It’s not easy being A-Rod’s manager.

Johnny Oates, right off the bat, was asked about A-Rod’s three strikeouts.

“I know we don’t turn that first double play last year,” Oates says, “A-Rod to [Randy] Velarde. Overall, I was very pleased with the defense today.”

That’s not exactly answering the question. But, when you’re A-Rod’s manager, you look for the positives. All the time.

And Oates did say that A-Rod is not “a guy accustomed to striking out three times in a game. He’s had a lot on his shoulders. Let’s not go out there and say he’s not doing well from a couple of games. Let’s wait until we play 162 and see from there.”

See, it’s not easy being A-Rod. All that on his shoulders. Quit noticing him.

It’s not easy being a sportswriter in A-Rod country.

The Associated Press reporter who must write the stories from Ranger home games received word from his office that the first paragraph of his story about the Rangers’ first win had to be about A-Rod’s three strikeouts.

That’s how it goes here. So let us note that A-Rod already has four strikeouts in two games. Let us note that A-Rod struck out swinging in the first and eighth innings and took a called third strike in the sixth. He singled in the third. And had a stolen base. Not that anybody’s counting.

It’s not easy being A-Rod’s fan.

A 9-year-old fourth-grader named Jim Holdkamp, who had his parent’s permission to skip school for opening day, wore an A-Rod jersey and an annoyed expression after the game.

“All my friends talk about is how much money he’s making and then they made fun of A-Rod for tripping over his shoelace,” Holdkamp says. “That’s so not fair. Just because A-Rod makes a lot of money, that doesn’t mean my friends should say bad stuff about him when he makes a mistake. I think people are just jealous.”

Holdkamp says he thinks A-Rod did just great. He says he is proud to wear A-Rod’s jersey. Then he says, “I might ask my dad if I can get a Pudge jersey too. I like Pudge too. Maybe I’ll wear both jerseys.”

See how complicated it is now? A 9-year-old has wardrobe issues.

So is all of this unfair?

Is it unfair to think that the Angels, who didn’t spend $252 million on a shortstop, and who are without their second baseman (Adam Kennedy, broken bone in finger) and first baseman (Mo Vaughn, biceps surgery) might turn out to be better than the Rangers? That the Angels have more young talent, more young pitching and maybe even some extra money to spend this year or next?

Is it unfair to A-Rod that all anybody notices is the $252 million?

“I was a little anxious,” A-Rod says. “I wanted to show the home fans I could do well. I thought it was a wonderful game.”

A-Rod is trying hard to be the good guy and the good teammate. What else can he do? It’s not easy being held up as the reason baseball might be ruined. To be the one person whose gigantic salary will be the ruination of the national pastime.

No, it’s not easy being A-Rod. Would you want the job?

Me too.

*

Diane Pucin can be reached at her e-mail address: diane.pucin@latimes.com.