Evan Longoria News

Short wait for Longoria to become a star
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November 11
Orange County Register
 columnist Mark Whicker
"You might think you're in a hurry. Evan Longoria plays baseball like an asteroid is coming. In 2006, he was Long Beach State's third baseman. Tampa Bay picked him third in the first round of the baseball draft. He went through the minor leagues - just 205 games - like he was washing his hands. In April of this year, well before he had faced every major league team, the Rays signed him to a six-year contract that could stretch through 2016 if they pick up all their options. Soon Longoria was batting fourth for an American League East contender. Soon that contender was a champion, and Longoria was hitting six home runs with 11 RBIs in the first rounds of the playoffs. On Monday, he became ..."
Longoria Unanimous Choice As AL Top Rookie
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November 10
Tampa Tribune
 
"Rays third baseman Evan Longoria was a unanimous choice today as the American League Rookie of the Year. Longoria, 23, becomes the first Tampa Bay player so honored in the 11-year history of the franchise. Voting was done by two members of the Baseball Writers Association of America in each league city. They listed three choices per ballot. Longoria was listed first on all 28 ballots. He was also the only player listed on every ballot. Longoria was Tampa Bay's first-round choice and the third overall pick in the 2006 first-year player draft. He began this past season in the minors, but was promoted to the Rays in the second week. He went on to hit .272 in 122 games and 448 ..."
Longoria, Soto are Rookies of the Year
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November 10
MLB.com
 
"Evan Longoria, the third baseman whose powerful bat keyed the Rays' remarkable turnaround season, and Cubs catcher Geovany Soto were named winners of their respective leagues' 2008 Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year Awards. Longoria, the unanimous American League selection of Baseball Writers Association of America voters, was honored for the 27 homers and 85 RBIs that followed his delayed addition to the Rays' lineup on April 12. Soto was nearly as popular in the NL, after minding the critical defensive position for the Central division champs while putting up 23 homers and 86 RBIs."
Tampa Bay Rays' Evan Longoria, Joe Maddon up for rookie, manager awards
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November 10
St. Petersburg Times
 
"In a Rays season filled with firsts, this week will likely provide another signature moment for the franchise. When the Baseball Writers Association of America announce the winners of two of its most prestigious awards - AL rookie of the year (today) and AL manager of the year (Wednesday) - Rays third baseman Evan Longoria and manager Joe Maddon are expected by many to be on the receiving end. Though one team has picked up two of baseball's four major awards (Cy Young and MVP are the others) in six of the past seven seasons, these two honors would be especially significant for the Rays for a few reasons: They would be their first such awards in their 11-year history; and the hardware would ..."
Pena, Longoria missing in action
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October 27
Orange County Register
 
"The clubhouse guy was writing on the greaseboard, giving the Tampa Bay Rays the schedule for the postgame buses that would take them back to their rooms and shield them from home runs and umpires and Phillies. The He also wrote: "Recommended Attire Tomorrow: Express Yourself." That could be Manager Joe Maddon's final stab at giving his Rays a comfort zone in 2008. He has let them wear designer T-shirts on the road, he has joined them in Mohawk haircuts. Now, heading into a World Series Game 5 that could throw this ebullient ride into a bridge abutment, Maddon wants them to be themselves. He hopes it doesn't mean that Carlos Pena and Evan Longoria, the Rays' 3-4 hitters, will show up ..."
Evan Longoria, Carlos Pena come up short for Tampa Bay Rays
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October 27
New York Daily News
 
"Carlos Pena led the Rays with 31 homers and 102 RBI during the regular season, despite missing 20 games with a broken left index finger. Evan Longoria represented Tampa Bay in the All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium and is the favorite for AL Rookie of the Year honors after belting 27 homers in 448 at-bats. Now the Nos. 3 and 4 hitters for the Rays are a combined 0-for-29 with 15 strikeouts in the World Series. And with Sunday night's 10-2 loss to the Phillies in Game 4, they're facing elimination Monday when Scott Kazmir opposes Philadelphia ace Cole Hamels. Pena went 0-for-3 with a walk Sunday night and Longoria was hitless in four at-bats, with three strikeouts. Still, the Rays are ..."
At 23, Carrying Himself and the Rays Very Well
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October 22
New York Times
 
"Evan Longoria approached Don Zimmer at Tropicana Field on Tuesday, put his hand on Zimmer's shoulder and asked for some wisdom. With the Tampa Bay Rays one day away from playing in their first World Series, Longoria, their cool third baseman, wanted Zimmer, the team's special adviser, to impart some advice culled from his 60 years in professional baseball. Zimmer knew that Longiria's request was actually a bit of trap. He knew Longoria was already prepared for the next and the greatest challenge of his rookie season. So Zimmer treated the request playfully. He used spicy language in ordering Longoria to simply go play third. It worked. Longoria laughed and dashed to his position. As ..."
Rays have gotten used to Longoria's heroics
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October 3
Chicago Sun-Times
 
"Perhaps more impressive than rookie Evan Longoria's postseason debut Thursday in Tampa Bay's 6-4 victory over the White Sox -- two home runs, three run-scoring hits in all and a walk -- was the reaction to his performance in the home clubhouse afterward. No one was stunned by the third baseman's stunning display. ''Honestly, I wasn't surprised,'' manager Joe Maddon said. ''He's always in the moment. He's always got that way about him. He's not going to be overwhelmed by the situation, and that speaks beyond his skill level.'' ''He's been doing that all year,'' outfielder Carl Crawford said, ''so I didn't expect anything else.'' ''Amazing,'' former Cub Cliff Floyd gushed. ''It's not that ..."
Longoria activated, likely won't start for a few days
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September 7
St. Petersburg Times
 
"3B Evan Lon­goria rejoined the active roster for Saturday's game but is targeting Friday for his more important return to the lineup. Longoria may be used for late-inning defense or pinch-running for the next few days as he continues his recovery from his fractured right wrist. "I've been wanting to be activated the last five days just to be in there and prepare myself mentally," Longoria said. "I don't think it has any bearing on the time frame. I think we're still going to probably shoot for the first game in New York." Longoria, out since being hit by a pitch Aug. 7, crossed a significant threshold Saturday when he swung a regular bat with "just very, very minimal pain," but he has ..."
Longoria to DL with wrist fracture
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August 12
Tampa Tribune
 
"The Rays have placed Evan Longoria on the 15-day disabled list with a fractured right wrist and recalled outfielder Justin Ruggiano from Durham. Longoria was hit by a pitch Thursday night in Seattle and did not play in the final three games of the Mariners series. Longoria and the Rays said at the time that X-rays taken following the game showed no fracture. In fact, Rays executive vice president Andrew Friedman said today, the interpretation was that Longoria had been playing with an old fracture and there was no new damage. Longoria said as recently as Sunday afternoon that he was feeling better and hoped to play in Tuesday's game at Oakland. Instead, he returned to Tampa on a red-eye ..."
First Crawford, Now Longoria
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August 12
Tampa Tribune
 
"The Rays didn't play a game Monday, but they may have suffered their biggest setback of the season. A second look at third baseman Evan Longoria's sore right wrist revealed a non-displaced fracture that was mistaken for an old injury in the initial X-rays taken after he was hit by a pitch Thursday night. Rather than returning to the lineup tonight in Oakland as he had predicted Sunday, Longoria was placed on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to Aug. 8. He likely will miss about three weeks, according to Rays executive vice president Andrew Friedman. Making matters worse, the Rays could determine by today that Carl Crawford needs to undergo surgery to repair the tendon problem in his ..."
Broken wrist lands Rays HR leader Longoria on DL
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August 12
ESPN.com
 
"The Tampa Bay Rays placed rookie All-Star third baseman Evan Longoria on the 15-day disabled list Monday because of a right wrist fracture, the second major blow to the team's surprising first-place run in as many days. Two-time All-Star and four-time AL stolen base champion Carl Crawford went on the DL with a right hand injury on Sunday, meaning the Rays face the challenge of staying on top of the division for at least two weeks without two of their best offensive and defensive players. "Obviously it's a tough situation, but this team has shown great perseverance all year and I expect it will continue," vice president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said during a conference call. ..."
Rays rookie Longoria slams Jays
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July 20
Toronto Star
 
"The Blue Jays and a packed house at Tropicana Field went down memory lane last night during a post-game concert by MC Hammer, who belted out the two hits he was most famous for in the 1990s. For the Blue Jays, those two hits were exactly the same number they managed through eight innings against the Tampa Bay Rays. Hammer at least had the joint jumping to his pair of old school hip-hop numbers. The Jays were merely boring, and there was little doubt they were going down to defeat, this time in a 6-4 setback to the Rays. The biggest damage came on a grand slam by Tampa rookie Evan Longoria during a five-run sixth."
Longoria's first slam lifts Rays over Jays
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July 20
St. Petersburg Times
 
"Manager Joe Maddon said you have to "take what you can get" when facing Jays All-Star ace Roy Halladay. But even Maddon had to marvel at how the Rays' five-run sixth-inning rally Saturday night was sparked. Rookie Evan Longoria may have delivered the biggest blast in the Rays' 6-4 victory — his first grand slam — but the crux of chasing Halladay from the game came due to three interesting infield hits."
Two Rays returning to New York as All-Stars
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July 16
St. Petersburg Times
 
"For rookie Evan Longoria, the All-Star Game is going to be another blur of new experiences. But for the other two Rays who headed Sunday night to New York, it's more a homecoming, and quite a happy return. For pitcher Scott Kazmir, who was a touted Mets first-round pick and top prospect before being acquired, okay, stolen, in a July 2004 trade for Victor Zambrano."
Longoria maintains cool during All-Star madness
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July 16
St. Petersburg Times
 columnist John Romano
"The fans in the first row at Yankee Stadium scream the names of American League All-Stars as they come off the field following batting practice. One by one, the players disappear into the dugout without so much as a wave. So maybe the kid doesn't know any better. Or maybe he remembers what the others have already forgotten. For it was only a few months ago that he was in the minor leagues. And it was not so many years ago that he, too, was sitting in the stands at Yankee Stadium in the Derek Jeter jersey he had just purchased. And maybe that is why Evan Longoria stopped."
Longoria an easy pick for Rays' midseason MVP
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July 13
St. Petersburg Times
 
"Identifying the Rays' most valuable player to this point in the season has been an ongoing process. At times, cases have been made for LHP J.P. Howell, whose conversion from rocky starter to rock-solid middle reliever was a big part of the bullpen's success; ??? for SS Jason Bartlett, whose steady play was a vital element to their defensive improvement, and whose recent absence illuminates the point; for C Dioner Navarro, given his turnaround at the plate and less obvious but more important improvement behind it; ??? and even for Eric Hinske, a bargain-bin late free-agent signing who carried them offensively in stretches. But there is no debate now. And there might not be for a long, ..."
Tampa Bay rookie Evan Longoria making name for himself
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July 12
Cleveland Plain Dealer
 
"Evan Longoria can only hope. "Maybe the further along I get in my career, and the more of a name I make for myself, I might not hear about it," he said. "We'll see." Longoria, rookie sensation for the Tampa Bay Rays, can only hope the questions cease about whether he has any connection to a certain actress who stars in the TV show "Desperate Housewives.""
Longoria Selected For Home Run Derby
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July 12
Tampa Tribune
 
"Evan Longoria has added another item to his itinerary for next week. The rookie third baseman was invited Friday afternoon by Major League Baseball to participate in Monday's Home Run Derby at Yankee Stadium."
9-million clicks later, Longoria gives Rays three All-Stars
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July 11
St. Petersburg Times
 
"With all everyone else had done, Evan Lon­goria figured he had to do his part. Getting antsy knowing the voting for the final All-Star spot ended Thursday afternoon, Longoria cast 20 votes for himself. The Rays' amazing rookie won the online voting for the 32nd and final spot on the American League squad and joins Scott Kazmir and Dioner Navarro, giving Tampa Bay three All-Stars for the first time."
Local Support Makes Longoria An All-Star
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July 10
Tampa Tribune
 
"Evan Longoria had led the balloting for the final spot on the American League All-Star roster in everyreleased by Major League Baseball this week, but as the minutes ticked past today's 5 p.m. voting cutoff, everyone started to get a bit nervous. After about 15 anxious minutes, though, Longoria and the Rays got the news they had been hoping for. MLB senior vice president Phyllis Merhige phoned Rays spokesman Rick Vaughn and Vaughn handed his cell phone to Longoria, who was on the field stretching prior to batting practice. "She just said, 'Congratulations, you're an American League All-Star,' and those were the words that I was waiting to hear," said Longoria, whose teammates burst ..."
Honoree Longoria, Rays try to rebound
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July 10
Tampa Tribune
 
"The first thing I heard as I walked into the Stadium this morning was a security guard imploring a group of girls, all about 8 years old, to wear their mustaches. They’re giving away 20,000 of them today in support of Jason Giambi as the race for the final spot on the AL All-Star roster reaches its last day. Evan Longoria has no such marketing might on his side as he vies for that slot, but he does have one more accolade. Longoria today was named the AL Rookie of the Month for June. He hit .300 with 11 doubles, eight homers and 19 RBIs last month while