Arlington, Texas ? He’s no longer the fresh-faced 19-year-old who threw out runners from his knees. The megawatt smile, when it does come, creases on the corners a little bit.

Ivan Rodriguez has returned to the Texas Rangers, but not as the power-hitting force whose arm was rarely challenged by even the best base-stealers. Instead, he’s a 37-year-old catcher emeritus, part of a bench that features 34 Gold Gloves when fellow clubhouse mentors Andruw Jones and Omar Vizquel are sitting nearby.

A few things haven’t changed, though. He still plays with boundless enthusiasm. He still commands attention behind home plate, especially when he raises the facemask to show that square, fixed jaw.

And Texas fans still love the player they’ve always called “Pudge,” his childhood nickname.

“I think it’s going to be a great dream for me to be in front of the fans that I grew up with,” Rodriguez said before he took the field for the Rangers again. “I can’t wait for that.”

He didn’t have to wait long. The crowd showered the 14-time All-Star with affection when he presented the lineup card Tuesday evening, about two hours after he arrived in a trade with the Houston Astros.

When he made his first start a night later, fans simply couldn’t contain themselves. They stood when his name was announced in pregame lineups, when his name was called again moments before the first pitch, and especially when he came to bat the first time.

It was almost as if they were saying they were sorry Rodriguez had to leave to win a World Series with Florida and play in another with Detroit.

“You always think of coming back to where you started,” said Rodriguez, who played his first 11 seasons with the Rangers from 1991 to 2002 and won 10 Gold Gloves. “It’s been a long time. And I’m glad that I’m back to the place that I started.”

Rodriguez doesn’t mind that he’s a backup who will play twice a week, although he acknowledged that he had to think about it before agreeing to waive his no-trade clause. He doesn’t mind hitting eighth in the order, as he did when he went 3 for 4 in his first start for the Rangers since Sept. 29, 2002, the final game that year.

Baseball’s all-time leader in games played by a catcher says he just wants to win, like he did immediately upon leaving the Rangers following three consecutive last-place finishes. Rodriguez was the MVP of the NLCS when the Marlins won it all in 2003.

The Tigers had their first winning season in 13 years when they went to the World Series in 2006, although Rodriguez had a disappointing postseason and Detroit lost to St. Louis in five games.

That was the last of Rodriguez’s 10 seasons of hitting at least .300, and his numbers in 93 games with the Astros this year were more in line with what he has done since: .251 with eight home runs and 34 RBIs.

“We’re very happy to have a guy of his experience and pedigree,” Rangers manager Ron Washington said. “I think everybody in Texas knows what Pudge Rodriguez brings to the table.”