Evan Longoria Biography

The prospect no one wanted goes from junior college, to minors, to the All-Star Game, and the 2008 MLB World Series!

Evan Longoria: NCAA Rejection
Playing his high school baseball at St. John Bosco High School, it did not take Evan Longoria long to become a baseball star. Evan Longoria lettered on the team all four years of his attendance and earned the respect of fans all over California. The only disadvantage that Evan Longoria had was that St. John Bosco High School was a private Catholic school. Many scouts wrote off all his impressive accomplishments as nothing more than a lack of competition. Evan Longoria went through the entire recruiting season without getting a single scholarship offer.

Evan Longoria: Junior College

After failing to land any NCAA scholarships, Evan Longoria first attended a small community college. There Evan Longoria proved that he was not just a private school wonder and dominated the competition. Scouts from all over the nation began to take notice of the unmatched hitting ability and Evan Longoria quickly secured a scholarship to the small college of Long Beach State. Before this time, Evan Longoria had made his name at shortstop, but the coaching staff at Long Beach State moved Evan Longoria to third base, where he became a natural.

As he had done in the private school and community college ranks, Evan Longoria crushed every pitcher put before him and earned honors in each year of play. As the awards and accolades mounted, more eyes were on Evan Longoria than ever before. Evan Longoria’s ability to hit the ball to every corner of the field with ease made him a prized prospect. The kid from Downy, California, that no one took seriously was on his way to being the best prospect in the 2006 MLB Draft.

Evan Longoria: Tampa Bay Devil Rays

Taken with the third overall pick in the 2006 MLB Draft by the Tampa Bay Rays, Evan Longoria arrived in a time when Tampa Bay Rays tickets were certainly not in high demand. The Tampa Bay Rays were young but inexperienced. Evan Longoria wanted to hit the majors right away, but the decision at the top was to let the raw talent develop. Evan Longoria may have been a great prospect, but he had not faced elite competition. A stint in the minors would give the young slugger time to acclimate without crushing his ego against MLB pitchers.

The baseball minors were not much of a challenge for Evan Longoria, and he quickly rocked every young pitcher that he faced. As he continued to burn through the competition, Evan Longoria also moved up from organization to organization. By 2007, Evan Longoria was making jaws drop around the minors and fans with Tampa Bay Rays tickets clamored for the elite prospect to be brought up. The Tampa Bay Rays management thought better of it and let him develop a little more to make the transition smooth.

Evan Longoria: Tampa Bay Rays 2008
As Evan Longoria was peaking in the minors, he was brought up to the Tampa Bay Rays roster. A spot was open, and he quickly took over as a stalwart at third base. It only took a few games before Evan Longoria became a favorite of fans with Tampa Bay Rays tickets as he provided the big bat needed to get them over the hump. A two-homerun game with six RBIs was the official coming out party for Evan Longoria and an MLB star was made.

Even as a member of the small-market Tampa Bay Rays, Evan Longoria captured the attention of fans and analysts with a flurry of homeruns and RBIs. As an invaluable part of the hitting and scoring machine that the Tampa Bay Rays offense became, Evan Longoria secured a reserve spot on the 2008 All-Star Team. It was a big personal milestone, but the biggest career accomplishment was just around the corner.

Evan Longoria: 2008 MLB Postseason

Evan Longoria ended the 2008 MLB regular season with 27 homeruns and 85 RBIs. Along the emergence of ace pitchers Scott Kazmir and James Shields, the play of Evan Longoria was one of the key differences that pushed the Tampa Bay Rays to the top of the AL East and to an amazing 97-65 record. The MLB postseason would be a new test for the Tampa Bay Rays as the organization had never won a playoff series in its history.

Evan Longoria and CF B.J. Upton joined together to give the Tampa Bay Rays a hitting duo that could not be matched. The offensive explosion helped the Tampa Bay Rays easily deal with the veteran Chicago White Sox. The true test came in the seven-game marathon battle with the arch rival Boston Red Sox. In game seven of the ALCS, Evan Longoria had a crucial RBI that helped set up the clutch finish by rookie pitcher David Price and punched the Tampa Bay Rays World Series tickets. Evan Longoria set a record for postseason homeruns for a rookie with six.

Evan Longoria: World Series

The Tampa Bay Rays were the ultimate underdogs all 2008 MLB season and the young slugger Evan Longoria was the perfect figure to lead them. Evan Longoria is the living embodiment of the youth, skill, and heart that defines the Tampa Bay Rays. As the Tampa Bay Rays enter the World Series for the first time ever, all eyes will once again be on Evan Longoria. It is guaranteed that there is no one fans with Tampa Bay Rays World Series tickets would rather have on the field for them.

Evan Longoria: Making Rays History

The Tampa Bay Rays road to the World Series is a long and winding journey with plenty of ups and downs. Diehard Tampa Bay Rays fans with MLB World Series tickets have stood beside the franchise from the expansion days and endured years of hard times. The Tampa Bay Rays have finally put all doubters to rest with a berth in the 2008 World Series against the Philadelphia Phillies. Out of this underdog story comes a player that is the perfect fit for the Tampa Bay Rays and personifies the journey of team.

Third baseman Evan Longoria has been the breakout star the Tampa Bay Rays needed. Like the team he plays for, Evan Longoria did not have a smooth road to reaching his ultimate goal either. For a long time Evan Longoria’s shot at the MLB was just as fanciful as the Tampa Bay Rays making the World Series. However, the young player persevered and worked and fought his way to earning the respect of his peers and the nation at large. There would probably be no Tampa Bay Rays World Series tickets without Evan Longoria.