Evan Longoria
Encyclopedia
Evan Michael Longoria (born October 7, 1985) is a Major League Baseball
third baseman
for the Tampa Bay Rays
. Formerly, Longoria was a star infielder
for the Long Beach State University baseball team, the Cape Cod League MVP, and the Big West Co-Player of the Year.
He made his major league debut for the Rays in , and was named to the American League
team for the 2008 MLB All Star Game. Longoria was also named the 2008 American League Rookie of the Year on November 10. Longoria had one of the biggest hits in Rays history when he hit a walkoff homerun in extra innings of the last game of the 2011 season, snapping a tie with the Red Sox in the race for the American League wildcard spot and sending his team into the post season.
, Longoria graduated from St. John Bosco High School
. He was a two-year letterman in baseball
and as a senior was a first team All-Serra League selection. Longoria did not receive any scholarship offers to play college baseball. USC
was the only program to consider him, but eventually backed out of recruiting him. At 6-foot-1 and 170 pounds, many baseball recruiters felt Longoria was too slim by Division I baseball standards. As a result, he attended Rio Hondo Community College during his freshman season before LBSU offered him a scholarship.
. In his freshman season, Longoria earned first-team All-State honors and was offered a scholarship by Long Beach State University. He transferred to Long Beach for his sophomore year and hit
.320, earning All-Conference honors. Because Long Beach State already had an established shortstop, Troy Tulowitzki
(who now plays with the Colorado Rockies
), Longoria played third base.
Following a successful MVP summer in 2006 in the Cape Cod League with the Chatham A's where he played second base, Longoria shared the Big West Conference Player of the Year honors (with Justin Turner) during his junior year at Long Beach State. When he first started attending Long Beach State University, he majored in kinesiology
. However, he switched to the department of Criminal Justice
because it was somewhat less time-consuming and, therefore, would not interfere with the baseball schedule as much.
In just two years, Longoria transformed his thin stature into a 6-foot-2 and 210-pounds by the end of his LBSU tenure.
. Longoria was called the "best pure hitter" among college players in the 2006 draft class by Baseball America
. He was the highest draft selection in school history. Tampa Bay gave him a $3 million signing bonus.
, Longoria moved up to the Visalia Oaks
and impressed the organization with his quick success, hitting .327 with eight home run
s and 28 RBI
in 28 games. This earned him a promotion to the Double-A Montgomery Biscuits
, where he hit .267 with six home runs through the end of the season, and hit .345 in the postseason, including a walk-off two run home run
in the Southern League
Division Playoffs to put Montgomery into the championship. He was widely considered the top third base prospect in the minors and one of the top prospects at any position.
Longoria followed up his successful debut with another stellar year in . Starting the year with Montgomery, Longoria hit .307 with 21 home runs and 76 RBI in 105 games for the Biscuits before a late season promotion to the Triple-A Durham Bulls
. In 31 games with the Bulls, he hit .269 with 5 home runs and 19 RBIs, but also had 29 strikeout
s. He finished 2007 with a combined average of .299, 26 home runs, 95 RBIs, and 73 walks
for an OBP
of .402.
In October 2007, sportswriter Ken Rosenthal
opined that Longoria "might be next season's Ryan Braun
, making a rapid ascent to the majors." Some scouts have in particular said that the way that the ball "explodes off his bat" reminds them of Braun. He was expected to start at third for Tampa Bay in 2008 with the move of Akinori Iwamura
to second base, but ultimately failed to make the opening day roster and was optioned to Triple-A Durham. According to reports, the Rays elected to send him down to complete his development, citing his short 31 game stint in Durham and drawing comparisons to the seasons of two other highly-heralded 3rd base prospects.
On April 12, 2008, the Rays placed Willy Aybar
on the disabled list
and called up Longoria from Triple-A Durham to replace him on the major league roster and on the 40-man roster. Longoria made his major league debut that night going 1 for 3 with an RBI.
Longoria hit his first career home run on April 14, against the New York Yankees
at Tropicana Field
. He had his first career two-homer game on May 24, and drove in six runs as the Rays defeated the Baltimore Orioles
11–4. Both of the homers came off the Orioles'
Steve Trachsel
, also a Long Beach State alumnus. On July 19, 2008, Longoria hit his first career grand slam
off Toronto's
Roy Halladay
in the fifth inning as part of a 6–4 winning effort.
On April 18, the Rays signed him to a six-year, $17.5 million contract with options for 2014, 2015, and 2016. The first six years of the contract cover his arbitration years, with three more years added by team options. If the team exercises its one-year option for 2014, and then its two-year option for the 2015 and 2016 seasons, the deal could be worth up to $44 million.
On July 10, Longoria won the 2008 All-Star game AL Final Fan vote over outfielder
Jermaine Dye
of the Chicago White Sox
, outfielder
José Guillén
of the Kansas City Royals, first baseman
Jason Giambi
of the New York Yankees, and second baseman
Brian Roberts
of the Baltimore Orioles. Longoria went 1–4 in the game and hit a game-tying ground-rule double
in the bottom of the eighth inning. On August 11, Longoria was placed on the disabled list with a fractured wrist.
On September 18, Longoria had his first three home run game against the Minnesota Twins
at Tropicana Field
. On September 20, Longoria caught the game-ending out, from Joe Mauer
in foul territory as the Rays clinched their first playoff spot in team history.
On October 2, in the first postseason game for both Longoria and Tampa Bay, Longoria hit two home runs in his first two at-bats to help lead the Rays past the Chicago White Sox 6–4. Longoria is the first rookie and second player overall to homer in his first two postseason at bats. The first to do so was Longoria's hitting coach at Triple-A Durham, Gary Gaetti
, who had his historic effort with the Minnesota Twins in 1987.
On October 14, 2008, Longoria set the rookie mark for most home runs (4) hit in a postseason series, breaking Miguel Cabrera
's record set in 2003. The Rays made it to the 2008 World Series
(their first in Franchise history) but were defeated by the Philadelphia Phillies
.
After the 2008 season, Longoria was honored with The Sporting News Rookie of the Year Award
for the American League, as well as the American League Rookie of the Year Award. He became the fourth third baseman to win the award. He also became the sixth player and the first since Nomar Garciaparra
in 1997
to win a Rookie of the Year Award unanimously. He was also named the third baseman on the Topps Rookie All-Star Team
.
in the World Baseball Classic
.
(118 games) and Albert Pujols
(131 games).http://www.kxmb.com/Sports/365178.asp At the end of April, Longoria became the first player in Rays franchise history to be named the AL Player of the Month
. He had also won two of the four Player of the Week
awards for the month of April. Longoria drove in 131 runs in his first 162 games in the majors, the third-highest total through May 2009 of any active player.http://www.deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,705306262,00.html
Longoria was selected by the fans to start the 2009 MLB All Star Game on July 5, 2009. Due to a finger injury, he was kept out of the lineup.
Longoria won the American League Gold Glove Award
for his position on November 10. Two days later, he won a Silver Slugger Award.
, succeeding Tim Lincecum
. Longoria also appears in a commercial for the game that advertises the $1 million prize given to the first person to pitch a perfect game in MLB 2K10. In the commercial, Longoria breaks up a perfect game with a home run. On August 8, 2010, Longoria broke up a no-hitter in the 9th inning with two outs. Longoria spoiled Brandon Morrow's attempt with a putt-shot to the Blue Jay's second baseman, who was unable to make a play on it. Brandon Morrow was left with a 17 strikeout one-hitter (which would have tied Nolan Ryan for most strikeouts in a no-hitter).
Was featured in TV commercial for Gillette. Longoria has also appeared in a commercial for New Era
hats that was aired during the 2010 season.
's has brought about playful comparisons between him and the actress. Although Evan and Eva are both of Mexican-American descent, the two are not related. When asked as a college baseball player in 2005 about the name similarity, he admitted that he got "ragged on it a lot, but I don't mind. My friends and I think she's hot." However, when asked about it again in 2008, Evan said that he was "done talking about that. I did it all through the minor leagues. That's all I had to hear was her name associated with mine. I think we're kind of past that. That's all." After being named to the 2008 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
, Eva sent Evan a bottle of champagne and a note thanking him for "doing the Longoria name
proud". In return, Evan sent Eva three signed jerseys. The name similarity between Evan and Eva has even spawned heckles by opposing fans against him.
" by Pantera
and currently is using "Down and Out
" by Tantric
as his at-bat music.
On March 8, 2011 his classic 1967 black and white Camaro RS, valued at $75,000 and a Buick GSX, valued at $25,000, were reported stolen from an Arizona lot. Longoria lives in California, but was having work done on the car in Arizona.
On March 28, 2011 Longoria, David Price
and Reid Brignac
's rental property in Port Charlotte
, Fla. was broken into, while away at the nearby Charlotte Sports Park
stadium for a game. According to the St. Petersburg Times
, police estimated $56,000 in lost property from the robbery. Among the loot
was Longoria's AK-47
rifle.
Evan is an avid self-taught drummer and even has a drum kit in Tropicana Field.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
third baseman
Third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
for the Tampa Bay Rays
Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays are a member of the Eastern Division of MLB's American League. Since their inception in , the club has played at Tropicana Field...
. Formerly, Longoria was a star infielder
Infielder
An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field.-Standard arrangement of positions:In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns playing offensive and defensive roles...
for the Long Beach State University baseball team, the Cape Cod League MVP, and the Big West Co-Player of the Year.
He made his major league debut for the Rays in , and was named to the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
team for the 2008 MLB All Star Game. Longoria was also named the 2008 American League Rookie of the Year on November 10. Longoria had one of the biggest hits in Rays history when he hit a walkoff homerun in extra innings of the last game of the 2011 season, snapping a tie with the Red Sox in the race for the American League wildcard spot and sending his team into the post season.
High-school baseball career
Born in Downey, CaliforniaDowney, California
Downey is a city located in southeast Los Angeles County, California, United States, southeast of downtown Los Angeles. The city is best known as the birthplace of the Apollo space program, and is the city where folk singer Karen Carpenter lived and died...
, Longoria graduated from St. John Bosco High School
St. John Bosco High School
St. John Bosco High School is a Catholic college preparatory school located in Bellflower, California, USA; conducted by the Salesians of St. John Bosco, San Francisco Province. SJBHS is named after Saint John Bosco and was originally founded as an elementary and intermediate boarding school by...
. He was a two-year letterman in baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
and as a senior was a first team All-Serra League selection. Longoria did not receive any scholarship offers to play college baseball. USC
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
was the only program to consider him, but eventually backed out of recruiting him. At 6-foot-1 and 170 pounds, many baseball recruiters felt Longoria was too slim by Division I baseball standards. As a result, he attended Rio Hondo Community College during his freshman season before LBSU offered him a scholarship.
College baseball career
After high school, Longoria attended Rio Hondo Community College, where he played shortstopShortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
. In his freshman season, Longoria earned first-team All-State honors and was offered a scholarship by Long Beach State University. He transferred to Long Beach for his sophomore year and hit
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
.320, earning All-Conference honors. Because Long Beach State already had an established shortstop, Troy Tulowitzki
Troy Tulowitzki
Troy Trevor Tulowitzki , nicknamed Tulo, is a Major League Baseball shortstop for the Colorado Rockies.Tulowitzki's arm, range and instincts at shortstop are highly regarded...
(who now plays with the Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...
), Longoria played third base.
Following a successful MVP summer in 2006 in the Cape Cod League with the Chatham A's where he played second base, Longoria shared the Big West Conference Player of the Year honors (with Justin Turner) during his junior year at Long Beach State. When he first started attending Long Beach State University, he majored in kinesiology
Kinesiology
Kinesiology, also known as human kinetics is the scientific study of human movement. Kinesiology addresses physiological, mechanical, and psychological mechanisms. Applications of kinesiology to human health include: biomechanics and orthopedics, rehabilitation, such as physical and occupational...
. However, he switched to the department of Criminal Justice
Criminal justice
Criminal Justice is the system of practices and institutions of governments directed at upholding social control, deterring and mitigating crime, or sanctioning those who violate laws with criminal penalties and rehabilitation efforts...
because it was somewhat less time-consuming and, therefore, would not interfere with the baseball schedule as much.
In just two years, Longoria transformed his thin stature into a 6-foot-2 and 210-pounds by the end of his LBSU tenure.
Professional baseball career
Longoria was selected by the Tampa Bay Rays as their third overall pick in the 2006 Major League Baseball Draft2006 Major League Baseball Draft
The 2006 First-Year Player Draft, Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft, was held on June 6 and 7. It was conducted via conference call with representatives from each of the league's 30 teams.-First Round Selections:...
. Longoria was called the "best pure hitter" among college players in the 2006 draft class by Baseball America
Baseball America
Baseball America is a magazine which covers baseball at every level, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in high school, college, Japan, and the minor leagues. It is currently published in the form of a bi-weekly newspaper, five annual reference book titles, a weekly podcast, and a...
. He was the highest draft selection in school history. Tampa Bay gave him a $3 million signing bonus.
Minor leagues
After signing with the Rays, Longoria tore through his first assignments in the minor leagues. After just eight games with the Single-A Hudson Valley RenegadesHudson Valley Renegades
The Hudson Valley Renegades are a minor league baseball team, affiliated with the Tampa Bay Rays. The team is a member of the New York - Penn League, a Class A Short Season league. The Renegades play at Dutchess Stadium in Fishkill, NY....
, Longoria moved up to the Visalia Oaks
Visalia Oaks
The Visalia Rawhide are a minor league baseball team in Visalia, California, U.S. They are a Class A - Advanced team of the Arizona Diamondbacks operating in the California League and have recently agreed to renew their affiliation through 2012....
and impressed the organization with his quick success, hitting .327 with eight home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s and 28 RBI
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
in 28 games. This earned him a promotion to the Double-A Montgomery Biscuits
Montgomery Biscuits
The Montgomery Biscuits are a minor league baseball team based in Montgomery, Alabama. The team is the Class AA affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays and plays in the Southern League. The 2004 season was the team's first in Montgomery...
, where he hit .267 with six home runs through the end of the season, and hit .345 in the postseason, including a walk-off two run home run
Walk-off home run
In baseball, a walk-off home run is a home run that ends the game. It must be a home run that gives the home team the lead in the bottom of the final inning of the game—either the ninth inning, or any extra inning, or any other regularly scheduled final inning...
in the Southern League
Southern League (baseball)
The Southern League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the Southern United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The original league was formed in , and shut down in . A new league, the Southern Association, was formed in , consisting of twelve teams...
Division Playoffs to put Montgomery into the championship. He was widely considered the top third base prospect in the minors and one of the top prospects at any position.
Longoria followed up his successful debut with another stellar year in . Starting the year with Montgomery, Longoria hit .307 with 21 home runs and 76 RBI in 105 games for the Biscuits before a late season promotion to the Triple-A Durham Bulls
Durham Bulls
The Durham Bulls are a minor league baseball team that currently plays in the International League. The Bulls play their home games at Durham Bulls Athletic Park located in the downtown area of Durham, North Carolina. Durham Bulls Athletic Park is often called the "DBAP" or "D-Bap". The Bulls are...
. In 31 games with the Bulls, he hit .269 with 5 home runs and 19 RBIs, but also had 29 strikeout
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
s. He finished 2007 with a combined average of .299, 26 home runs, 95 RBIs, and 73 walks
Base on balls
A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...
for an OBP
On base percentage
In baseball statistics, on-base percentage is a measure of how often a batter reaches base for any reason other than a fielding error, fielder's choice, dropped/uncaught third strike, fielder's obstruction, or catcher's interference In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) (sometimes...
of .402.
In October 2007, sportswriter Ken Rosenthal
Ken Rosenthal
Kenneth H. Rosenthal is an American sportswriter and reporter.Rosenthal has served as lead field reporter for Major League Baseball on Fox since 2005...
opined that Longoria "might be next season's Ryan Braun
Ryan Braun
Ryan Joseph Braun is an American right-handed Major League Baseball left fielder for the Milwaukee Brewers. A perennial standout, he was ranked No...
, making a rapid ascent to the majors." Some scouts have in particular said that the way that the ball "explodes off his bat" reminds them of Braun. He was expected to start at third for Tampa Bay in 2008 with the move of Akinori Iwamura
Akinori Iwamura
Akinori Iwamura is a Japanese Major League Baseball infielder, who is currently with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles of the Japanese Pacific League...
to second base, but ultimately failed to make the opening day roster and was optioned to Triple-A Durham. According to reports, the Rays elected to send him down to complete his development, citing his short 31 game stint in Durham and drawing comparisons to the seasons of two other highly-heralded 3rd base prospects.
2008
Willy Aybar
Willy Del Jesus Aybar is an infielder who currently plays for the Yuma Scorpions in the North American League. Aybar has previously played in Major League Baseball for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Atlanta Braves, and Tampa Bay Rays...
on the disabled list
Disabled list
In Major League Baseball, the disabled list is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players.-General guidelines:...
and called up Longoria from Triple-A Durham to replace him on the major league roster and on the 40-man roster. Longoria made his major league debut that night going 1 for 3 with an RBI.
Longoria hit his first career home run on April 14, against the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
at Tropicana Field
Tropicana Field
Tropicana Field is a domed stadium in St. Petersburg, Florida, which has been the home of Major League Baseball's Tampa Bay Rays since the team's inaugural season in 1998, when they were the Devil Rays. It has also served as the host stadium for the Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl, an NCAA-sanctioned college...
. He had his first career two-homer game on May 24, and drove in six runs as the Rays defeated the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
11–4. Both of the homers came off the Orioles'
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
Steve Trachsel
Steve Trachsel
Stephen Christopher Trachsel , nicknamed "The Human Rain Delay", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He is known for the long amount of time he takes to deliver the ball to home plate in between pitches. Games in which he pitches are known to be considerably longer than most games, leading...
, also a Long Beach State alumnus. On July 19, 2008, Longoria hit his first career grand slam
Grand slam (baseball)
In the sport of baseball, a grand slam is a home run hit with all three bases occupied by baserunners , thereby scoring four runs—the most possible in one play. According to The Dickson Baseball Dictionary, the term originated in the card game of contract bridge, in which a grand slam involves...
off Toronto's
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
Roy Halladay
Roy Halladay
Harry Leroy "Roy" Halladay III , nicknamed "Doc", is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies...
in the fifth inning as part of a 6–4 winning effort.
On April 18, the Rays signed him to a six-year, $17.5 million contract with options for 2014, 2015, and 2016. The first six years of the contract cover his arbitration years, with three more years added by team options. If the team exercises its one-year option for 2014, and then its two-year option for the 2015 and 2016 seasons, the deal could be worth up to $44 million.
On July 10, Longoria won the 2008 All-Star game AL Final Fan vote over outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
Jermaine Dye
Jermaine Dye
Jermaine Trevell Dye is a retired American Major League Baseball right fielder and designated hitter. Dye played with the Atlanta Braves , Kansas City Royals , Oakland Athletics , and the Chicago White Sox . Dye won the World Series MVP with the White Sox in 2005...
of the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
, outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
José Guillén
José Guillén
José Manuel Guillén |San Cristóbal, Dominican Republic]]) is a Major League Baseball outfielder who is currently a free agent. A prototypical league journeyman, the Giants were the tenth team for which Guillén has played since his major league debut in 1997....
of the Kansas City Royals, first baseman
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
Jason Giambi
Jason Giambi
Jason Gilbert Giambi is an American professional baseball first baseman with the Colorado Rockies of Major League Baseball.He was the American League MVP in 2000 while with the Oakland Athletics, and is a five-time All-Star who has led the American League in walks four times, in on base percentage...
of the New York Yankees, and second baseman
Second baseman
Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base...
Brian Roberts
Brian Roberts
Brian Michael Roberts is an American Major League Baseball All Star second baseman, nicknamed B-Rob.He made his Major League debut in and has spent his entire professional career with the Baltimore Orioles organization, located in Baltimore, Maryland.-Early life, education and college-baseball...
of the Baltimore Orioles. Longoria went 1–4 in the game and hit a game-tying ground-rule double
Double (baseball)
In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
in the bottom of the eighth inning. On August 11, Longoria was placed on the disabled list with a fractured wrist.
On September 18, Longoria had his first three home run game against the Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
at Tropicana Field
Tropicana Field
Tropicana Field is a domed stadium in St. Petersburg, Florida, which has been the home of Major League Baseball's Tampa Bay Rays since the team's inaugural season in 1998, when they were the Devil Rays. It has also served as the host stadium for the Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl, an NCAA-sanctioned college...
. On September 20, Longoria caught the game-ending out, from Joe Mauer
Joe Mauer
Joseph Patrick Mauer is a Major League Baseball catcher for the Minnesota Twins. He is the only catcher in Major League history to win three batting titles...
in foul territory as the Rays clinched their first playoff spot in team history.
On October 2, in the first postseason game for both Longoria and Tampa Bay, Longoria hit two home runs in his first two at-bats to help lead the Rays past the Chicago White Sox 6–4. Longoria is the first rookie and second player overall to homer in his first two postseason at bats. The first to do so was Longoria's hitting coach at Triple-A Durham, Gary Gaetti
Gary Gaetti
Gary Joseph Gaetti , nicknamed "G-Man", "Rat", or "Zorn" is an American former third baseman in Major League Baseball for the Minnesota Twins , California Angels , Kansas City Royals , St...
, who had his historic effort with the Minnesota Twins in 1987.
On October 14, 2008, Longoria set the rookie mark for most home runs (4) hit in a postseason series, breaking Miguel Cabrera
Miguel Cabrera
José Miguel Cabrera Torres nicknamed "Miggy", is a Venezuelan professional baseball first baseman with the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball. He bats and throws right-handed....
's record set in 2003. The Rays made it to the 2008 World Series
2008 World Series
The 2008 World Series was the 104th World Series between the American and National Leagues for the championship of Major League Baseball. The Philadelphia Phillies as champions of the National League and the Tampa Bay Rays, as American League champions, competed to win four games out of a possible...
(their first in Franchise history) but were defeated by the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
.
After the 2008 season, Longoria was honored with The Sporting News Rookie of the Year Award
The Sporting News Rookie of the Year Award
The Sporting News Rookie of the Year Award was established in 1946 by The Sporting News .*In 1947-48, and again in 1950, a single award was given for all of Major League Baseball....
for the American League, as well as the American League Rookie of the Year Award. He became the fourth third baseman to win the award. He also became the sixth player and the first since Nomar Garciaparra
Nomar Garciaparra
Anthony Nomar Garciaparra is a former Major League Baseball player. After playing parts of 9 seasons as an All-Star shortstop for the Boston Red Sox, he played third base, first base, and designated hitter for the Oakland Athletics, first base and third base for the Los Angeles Dodgers, and...
in 1997
1997 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Florida Marlins over Cleveland Indians ; Liván Hernández, MVP*American League Championship Series MVP: Marquis Grissom**American League Division Series*National League Championship Series MVP: Liván Hernández...
to win a Rookie of the Year Award unanimously. He was also named the third baseman on the Topps Rookie All-Star Team
Topps All-Star Rookie Rosters
This is a year-by-year list of the Topps All-Star Rookie teams. Note that players selected for a particular team appear in the following year's set release...
.
World Baseball Classic (2009)
Longoria was called upon on March 19, 2009, to replace Chipper JonesChipper Jones
Larry Wayne "Chipper" Jones, Jr. is a Major League baseball player for the National League's Atlanta Braves. Although initially a shortstop, he has spent most of his career as the starting third baseman for the Braves...
in the World Baseball Classic
World Baseball Classic
The World Baseball Classic is an international baseball tournament sanctioned by the International Baseball Federation and created by Major League Baseball , the Major League Baseball Players Association , and other professional baseball leagues and their players associations around the world...
.
2009
In April, Longoria knocked in his 100th career RBI, in his 135th game. The only then-active players to get to 100 RBIs more quickly were Ryan BraunRyan Braun
Ryan Joseph Braun is an American right-handed Major League Baseball left fielder for the Milwaukee Brewers. A perennial standout, he was ranked No...
(118 games) and Albert Pujols
Albert Pujols
José Alberto Pujols Alcántara , better known as Albert Pujols , is a Dominican-American professional baseball player, who is currently a free agent...
(131 games).http://www.kxmb.com/Sports/365178.asp At the end of April, Longoria became the first player in Rays franchise history to be named the AL Player of the Month
Player of the Month
The Player of the Month Award is a Major League Baseball award named by each league every month of the regular season. The National League started recognizing the award on June 4, 1958. National League president Warren Giles conducted a poll of baseball writers in each Major League city and...
. He had also won two of the four Player of the Week
Player of the Week
The Player of the Week award is a Major League Baseball award named by each of the American and National Leagues each week of the regular season...
awards for the month of April. Longoria drove in 131 runs in his first 162 games in the majors, the third-highest total through May 2009 of any active player.http://www.deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,705306262,00.html
Longoria was selected by the fans to start the 2009 MLB All Star Game on July 5, 2009. Due to a finger injury, he was kept out of the lineup.
Longoria won the American League Gold Glove Award
Gold Glove Award
The Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball players judged to have exhibited superior individual fielding performances at each fielding position in both the National League and the American League , as voted by the...
for his position on November 10. Two days later, he won a Silver Slugger Award.
2011
On September 28, 2011, Longoria hit a walk-off home run in extra innings against the New York Yankees to give the Rays an 8-7 victory, and more importantly, a spot in the playoffs. Earlier in the month, the Rays were facing a deficit of nine games in the wild card race to the Boston Red Sox. However, an epic collapse of the team, where they went 7-20 in the final games of the year, and a surge of the Rays, allowed them to overtake the Red Sox and eliminate them on the final day of the regular season. Longoria's home run came just 3 minutes after the Red Sox suffered a walk-off loss to the Baltimore Orioles, after a long rain delay.Endorsements
Evan Longoria was named the cover athlete for Major League Baseball 2K10Major League Baseball 2K10
Major League Baseball 2K10 or, in short, MLB 2K10, is a MLB licensed baseball simulation video game published by 2K Sports. MLB 2K10 was available for PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, Wii and Nintendo DS...
, succeeding Tim Lincecum
Tim Lincecum
Timothy Leroy Lincecum is an American professional baseball starting pitcher for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball. He was nicknamed "The Freak" and "Big Time Timmy Jim" and "The Franchise." He throws right-handed and bats left-handed....
. Longoria also appears in a commercial for the game that advertises the $1 million prize given to the first person to pitch a perfect game in MLB 2K10. In the commercial, Longoria breaks up a perfect game with a home run. On August 8, 2010, Longoria broke up a no-hitter in the 9th inning with two outs. Longoria spoiled Brandon Morrow's attempt with a putt-shot to the Blue Jay's second baseman, who was unable to make a play on it. Brandon Morrow was left with a 17 strikeout one-hitter (which would have tied Nolan Ryan for most strikeouts in a no-hitter).
Was featured in TV commercial for Gillette. Longoria has also appeared in a commercial for New Era
New Era Cap Company
The New Era Cap Company , located in Buffalo, New York, is a headwear manufacturer. It was founded in 1920 by German immigrant Ehrhardt Koch...
hats that was aired during the 2010 season.
Evan and Eva Longoria
The similarity of his name with actress Eva LongoriaEva Longoria
Eva Jacqueline Longoria is an American actress, best known for portraying Gabrielle Solis on the ABC television series Desperate Housewives...
's has brought about playful comparisons between him and the actress. Although Evan and Eva are both of Mexican-American descent, the two are not related. When asked as a college baseball player in 2005 about the name similarity, he admitted that he got "ragged on it a lot, but I don't mind. My friends and I think she's hot." However, when asked about it again in 2008, Evan said that he was "done talking about that. I did it all through the minor leagues. That's all I had to hear was her name associated with mine. I think we're kind of past that. That's all." After being named to the 2008 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
2008 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 2008 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 79th midseason exhibition between the all-stars of the American League and the National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was played at Yankee Stadium in The Bronx, New York, home of the New York Yankees, on...
, Eva sent Evan a bottle of champagne and a note thanking him for "doing the Longoria name
Longoria
-Localities:*Llongoria or Longoria is a village in Belmonte de Miranda, Asturias, Spain.-Surname:Longoria is a surname and may refer to:The surname “Longoria” originated in the province of Asturias in northwestern Spain.*David Longoria, American trumpeter...
proud". In return, Evan sent Eva three signed jerseys. The name similarity between Evan and Eva has even spawned heckles by opposing fans against him.
Personal life
In the past Longoria has used "I'm BrokenI'm Broken
"I'm Broken" is a song by the heavy metal group Pantera from the 1994 album Far Beyond Driven. It was the first single issued from the album...
" by Pantera
Pantera
Pantera was an American heavy metal band from Arlington, Texas. Formed by the Abbott brothers, Vinnie Paul and Dimebag Darrell in 1981, bassist Rex Brown would join in late 1981 with vocalist Terry Glaze. Looking for a new and heavier sound, Pantera had Terry replaced in 1987 with Phil Anselmo as...
and currently is using "Down and Out
The End Begins
The End Begins is the third studio album from Louisville, KY-based band Tantric. It is the first one recorded without the band's original members Todd Whitener, Matt Taul, and Jesse Vest...
" by Tantric
Tantric (band)
Tantric is a rock band from Louisville, Kentucky. The group has released four studio albums since 2001; although, their last two albums only retain Tantric's original singer, Hugo Ferreira...
as his at-bat music.
On March 8, 2011 his classic 1967 black and white Camaro RS, valued at $75,000 and a Buick GSX, valued at $25,000, were reported stolen from an Arizona lot. Longoria lives in California, but was having work done on the car in Arizona.
On March 28, 2011 Longoria, David Price
David Price (baseball)
David Taylor Price is an American Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher for the Tampa Bay Rays. Price was selected first overall in the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft by the Rays and made his major league debut in September 2008.Price pitched out of the bullpen during the Rays' run...
and Reid Brignac
Reid Brignac
Reid Michael Brignac is a Major League Baseball shortstop for the Tampa Bay Rays.-Professional career:Brignac was drafted by Tampa Bay Rays in the second round of the 2004 Major League Baseball Draft out of St. Amant High School as a shortstop...
's rental property in Port Charlotte
Port Charlotte, Florida
Port Charlotte is a census-designated place in Charlotte County, Florida, United States. The population was 46,451 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Punta Gorda Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
, Fla. was broken into, while away at the nearby Charlotte Sports Park
Charlotte Sports Park
Charlotte Sports Park is a baseball stadium in Port Charlotte, Florida...
stadium for a game. According to the St. Petersburg Times
St. Petersburg Times
The St. Petersburg Times is a United States newspaper. It is one of two major publications serving the Tampa Bay Area, the other being The Tampa Tribune, which the Times tops in both circulation and readership. Based in St...
, police estimated $56,000 in lost property from the robbery. Among the loot
Looting
Looting —also referred to as sacking, plundering, despoiling, despoliation, and pillaging—is the indiscriminate taking of goods by force as part of a military or political victory, or during a catastrophe, such as during war, natural disaster, or rioting...
was Longoria's AK-47
AK-47
The AK-47 is a selective-fire, gas-operated 7.62×39mm assault rifle, first developed in the Soviet Union by Mikhail Kalashnikov. It is officially known as Avtomat Kalashnikova . It is also known as a Kalashnikov, an "AK", or in Russian slang, Kalash.Design work on the AK-47 began in the last year...
rifle.
Evan is an avid self-taught drummer and even has a drum kit in Tropicana Field.