Texas.Rangers.MLB.com

Alex Rodriguez and the Rangers want redemption for a dismal season in 2001. (AP Photo/Mike King)

How could Rangers owner Tom Hicks pay him so much? Why did A-Rod go to Texas? Didn't A-Rod want to play for the Mets?

The question of whether the Rangers would win or not in 2001 became inconsequential. And for the record, the team did not win, finishing last in the American League West for the second consecutive season.

One year later, the focus has shifted. When A-Rod takes the field on April 1 in Oakland, he will share the spotlight with the likes of Chan Ho Park, Juan Gonzalez, Carl Everett and John Rocker ... not to mention Rafael Palmeiro and Ivan Rodriguez.

If Opening Day 2001 was about A-Rod, then Opening Day 2002 is about team redemption.

"It was a challenge; I'm not going to lie. Being eliminated after the first week of May is discouraging," A-Rod said. "You have to dig deep. You're a professional. You're paid to do a job, and that has to be done, whether you win or lose. My job is to be a good team leader and produce."

The sentiment is echoed throughout the Texas clubhouse. Finishing with a 73-89 record and 43 games out of first place in the American League West has that type of effect on players. It should. The Rangers have nowhere to go but up in the standings.

"Last year we pretty much embarrassed ourselves," outfielder Frank Catalanotto said. "We thought we were going to be a pretty good ballclub and we were terrible. This year's the team chemistry is a lot better and we just have a better ballclub. We really believe we can win this year."

Part of the reason for the team's positive outlook is Texas General Manager John Hart. During a busy offseason Hart agreed to terms with a slew of power-armed pitchers that includes Chan Ho Park, John Rocker, Todd Van Poppel, Jay Powell, Dave Burba, and Ismael Valdes. The Rangers added a new pitching coach, Oscar Acosta, and brought 36 pitchers to Port Charlotte, the largest number of hurlers ever brought to Spring Training in franchise history. The 64 players on the Major League Spring Training roster also represented the most players and most non-roster invitees the Rangers have ever had in a Spring Training camp. Hart also brought back Juan Gonzalez, a two-time American League Most Valuable Player, and added switch-hitting center fielder Carl Everett.

As for the pitching staff, only left-handers Doug Davis and Kenny Rogers return to the starting rotation this season because Darren Oliver was traded, Rick Helling was not re-signed, and the cornucopia of minor league pitchers who saw action in the No. 5 spot has been narrowed down to hurlers with Major League experience.

Hart's aggressiveness should come as no surprise because during his 10 years in Cleveland he followed a similar pattern of collecting "hard throwers" and "big bats." And if the Rangers are expected to compete in the AL West, arguably the toughest division in baseball, something had to be done to the pitching staff that had the worst ERA for the last two seasons.

The season is here and Hart has done his part. A-Rod, among others, has noticed the difference in the clubhouse.

"We have a new mix of a lot of guys. We have better arms. We have better personnel," A-Rod said. "The major difference is we have 50 guys fighting for 25 spots. Last year, we had maybe 27 battling for 25. When you have an environment like that, it's conducive to better baseball. You have more of a sense of urgency and tension."

Second baseman Michael Young agrees.

"I think one thing we are focusing in on is the positive energy in the clubhouse," he said. "We are comfortable with our personnel and we think we can do some special things. I think there is something about wanting to bounce back after the horrible year we had last year and I think there are a lot of guys in this clubhouse who are going to make sure what happen last year does not happen again."

One thing Hart or Rangers Manager Jerry Narron does not have to worry about is offensive production. With a lineup that includes, Catalanotto, Pudge Rodriguez, A-Rod, Gonzalez, Palmeiro, Everett, Rusty Greer, and rookie sensation Hank Blalock at third base, the Rangers will score runs and lots of them. It's such a versatile lineup that only Catalanotto, the leadoff hitter, A-Rod, the No. 3 hitter, and No. 4 hitter Gonzalez will hit in the same spot in the order every day this season.

For his part, Narron is overjoyed. He's just not taking the runs for granted.

"There are RBIs all up and down the order, but really the big thing for us is getting base runners because if we do that we are going to score a lot more runs and I don't want us to depend on home runs just to score," Narron said. ""For us, it is going to come back to having a lot of things go right for us. If they do, we will be very competitive in the division. I like this ballclub and I like the feeling in this ballclub that we can win."

A-Rod is equally optimistic because the shortstop knows that he signed with Texas to help the team win and become a team leader along the way. He said choosing to play in the Lone Star state was the right decision.

"I would take less to come here," Rodriguez said. "I love it here. We have the best owner in baseball. I think we have a great general manager and manager. We have a nice crop of young players coming up. Honestly, I can't be any happier."

Now that the focus of Opening Day is on the team and not his historic contract, who can blame him?

Jesse Sanchez covers the Texas Rangers for MLB.com. He can be contacted via email at jsanchez@texasrangers.com.