Opening Day 2009

As we drove into Arlington today there was a buzz. It's the kind of excitement shared by all fans of all sports teams when the season opener finally arrives. Before the opening pitch is ever thrown, hopes and dreams of a lifelong pursuit for Texas' first World Series Championship is being imagined by players, owners, coaches, and fans alike. Opening Day 2009 was a spectacular event for the Texas Rangers.

Our 43rd Commander in Chief, President George W. Bush, threw out the first pitch at the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. A strike right down the pike at that. And what is humbling is that President Bush is a true fan just like the rest of us. "Laura and I are excited to once again cheer on our home team at the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, and I'm honored Tom Hicks and Nolan Ryan invited me to throw out the first pitch," Bush said in a statement. "There's no better place to spend Opening Day than back home among fellow fans of the Texas Rangers." And fellow fans there were. Masses of them.

Everywhere you looked, Texas Rangers red, white and blue colors were proudly worn. People enjoying the cool start that seemed to warm as the game progressed, cheered emphatically as the Rangers beat the Indians 9 to 1. Texas did a superb job of everything today. Pitching was consistent, the defense was great and the blazing bats finished the game in victory bringing the opening day losing streak of five years to a close. And if we can come to expect this level of play as a norm this year, we will see this team accomplish great things.

Governor Rick Perry joined President Bush at the Ballpark today along with Nolan Ryan and other sports greats. Jerry Jones, Dallas Cowboys owner, was even on hand to witness at least one of Texas' franchise teams win a season opener. It was a proud day to be a Texas Rangers fan. Midway through the fourth inning "Deep in the Heart of Texas" began to play. I looked around and noticed others joining in singing the song. All I could think of was how this was just a neat moment. We Texans have good reason to be proud.

I spent the day with family enjoying one of America's greatest past times. My son, nearly two, sat through his first game. I was proud as I watched him clap when the crowd did and I laughed as he danced wildly anytime a song would blast over the stadium sound system. My daughter, four, enjoyed the game, cotton candy, holding daddy's hand and a hotdog. My Mother and Father watched their favorite MLB team win on opening day. It reminded me of how full circle my life has come. I recall going to the games with them and my brother and sister when we were younger, and now I'm passing that tradition on to my kids. I was thrilled at being on hand for such a fantastic day. As we made our way back to the car amongst the tens of thousands of Rangers fans, I realized that perhaps only fifteen percent of the total Texas workforce committed to a full day of work in the office today. And I was happy to join the game goers.

I hope as I do every year that the Rangers surprise us all and win the final series to bring home the championship. I'm encouraged by such a promising start. The only thing I hope that I forget about today is the unbelievably bad traffic. And boy was it bad. But being stuck in a crowd of slow to no moving happy Texas Rangers fans celebrating a win, isn't really all that bad. It's just part of the experience. Peanuts, popcorn, the crack of the bat, and the car horns.