Evan Longoria facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Evan Longoria |
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Longoria with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2017
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| Third baseman | ||||||||||||||
| Born: October 7, 1985 Downey, California, U.S. |
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| debut | ||||||||||||||
| April 12, 2008, for the Tampa Bay Rays | ||||||||||||||
| Last appearance | ||||||||||||||
| October 1, 2023, for the Arizona Diamondbacks | ||||||||||||||
| MLB statistics | ||||||||||||||
| Batting average | .264 | |||||||||||||
| Home runs | 342 | |||||||||||||
| Runs batted in | 1,159 | |||||||||||||
| Teams | ||||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||
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Medals
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Evan Michael Longoria (born October 7, 1985), often called "Longo", is an American former professional baseball player. He played as a third baseman for 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for the Tampa Bay Rays, San Francisco Giants, and Arizona Diamondbacks.
Longoria played college baseball for Long Beach State University. He was named the MVP of the Cape Cod League in 2005. In 2006, he was the Co-Player of the Year in the Big West Conference. The Rays picked him third overall in the 2006 MLB draft. After two years in the minor leagues, he joined the Rays in 2008. He quickly became an All-Star and won the Rookie of the Year award. He was an All-Star three times, from 2008 to 2010.
Evan played in two World Series. His first was with the Rays in 2008, and his last was with the Diamondbacks in 2023. The 15-year gap between his World Series appearances is the longest for a position player in MLB history. He made a famous walk-off home run in 2011. This hit helped the Rays get into the playoffs on the very last day of the season. Longoria was known for his amazing defense. He won three Gold Glove Awards at third base. Many people think he is the best player in the Rays' history. He holds many team records, including career records for games played and home runs.
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Early Life and College Baseball
Evan Longoria's father is of Mexican descent, and his mother is of Ukrainian descent. He grew up in Downey, California. He went to St. Raymond Catholic School, which did not have a baseball team. He later graduated from St. John Bosco High School. There, he played baseball for two years and was a top player.
Evan did not get any scholarships to play college baseball at first. Many recruiters thought he was too thin for NCAA Division I baseball. So, he started at Rio Hondo Community College. After his first year, Long Beach State University offered him a scholarship. He transferred there for his second year.
At Long Beach State, he played shortstop at first. But since Troy Tulowitzki, another great player, was already the shortstop, Longoria moved to third base. In 2005, he had a great summer playing in the Cape Cod League. He was named the MVP. In his junior year, he shared the Big West Conference Player of the Year award. Evan also worked hard to become stronger. He grew from 6-foot-1 and 170 pounds to 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds.
Professional Baseball Career
Draft and Minor Leagues
The Tampa Bay Rays picked Evan Longoria as the third overall player in the 2006 Major League Baseball draft. Baseball experts called him the "best pure hitter" among college players. This was the highest a player from Long Beach State had ever been drafted. The Rays gave him a $3 million signing bonus.
Longoria quickly did well in the minor leagues. In 2006, he played for the Hudson Valley Renegades and Visalia Oaks. He then moved up to the Double-A Montgomery Biscuits. He hit many home runs and helped the Biscuits win games. In 2007, he was named the Most Valuable Player with the Biscuits. He then moved up to the Triple-A Durham Bulls. Many people thought he was one of the best young players in all of baseball.
Tampa Bay Rays (2008–2017)
Starting in the Major Leagues
Evan Longoria made his MLB debut on April 12, 2008, with the Tampa Bay Rays. He hit his first career home run just two days later. On May 24, he hit two home runs in one game and drove in six runs. On July 19, he hit his first career grand slam.
The Rays signed him to a big contract early in his career. This contract was very good for the team. On July 10, Longoria was chosen by fans to play in the 2008 MLB All Star Game. He also took part in the Home Run Derby. In August, he had a wrist injury and was out for a while.
On September 18, Longoria hit three home runs in one game. Two days later, he caught the final out as the Rays made the playoffs for the first time ever. In his first playoff game, he hit two home runs. He was the first rookie to do this. The Rays made it to the 2008 World Series but lost to the Philadelphia Phillies. After the season, Longoria won the Rookie of the Year Award for the American League. He won it by a unanimous vote, meaning every voter picked him.
Awards and Big Moments
In 2009, Longoria quickly reached 100 career RBIs. He was named the AL Player of the Month in April. Fans voted him to start the 2009 MLB All Star Game, but he missed it due to a finger injury. He won his first Gold Glove Award and a Silver Slugger Award that year.
In 2010, Longoria had his best batting average at .294. He was an All-Star for the third year in a row. He also won his second straight Gold Glove Award.
The 2011 season had a famous moment for Longoria. On September 28, he hit a walk-off home run in extra innings against the New York Yankees. This win sent the Rays to the playoffs. It happened just minutes after the Boston Red Sox lost their game, which meant the Rays took their playoff spot.
In 2012, Longoria had a hamstring injury and missed many games. When he returned, the Rays started winning much more often. He finished the season with three home runs in the final game. He signed a new contract extension that could keep him with the Rays for many more years.
In 2013, Longoria hit his 25th home run of the season. This tied a team record for most seasons with 25 or more home runs. He also got his 500th career RBI. In a playoff tie-breaker game against the Texas Rangers, he hit a two-run home run that helped the Rays win and make the playoffs.
In 2014, Longoria broke the Rays' all-time home run record, passing Carlos Peña. He also broke the team's record for doubles and became the all-time RBI leader.
In 2015, Longoria hit his 200th career home run. He was also a finalist for the Gold Glove Award again. In 2016, he had a career-high 36 home runs and 98 RBIs. He played in almost every game that season.
In 2017, Longoria made history by hitting for the cycle. This means he hit a single, double, triple, and home run in the same game. He was only the second player in Rays history to do this. He also won his third Gold Glove Award that year.
San Francisco Giants (2018–2022)
On December 20, 2017, the Rays traded Longoria to the San Francisco Giants. In 2018, he got his 1,500th career hit. He later broke his hand and missed several weeks. He had a challenging season, hitting a career-low 16 home runs.
In 2019, he hit 20 home runs and had 69 RBIs. On August 21, 2020, Longoria hit his 300th career home run. He was the 150th player in MLB history to reach this milestone. He also had a very good fielding percentage at third base.
In 2021, Longoria missed half the season due to a shoulder injury. In 2022, he had surgery on his finger and missed the start of the season. On November 10, 2022, the Giants decided not to keep Longoria, making him a free agent for the first time.
Arizona Diamondbacks (2023)
On January 5, 2023, Longoria signed a one-year contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks. On June 27, he hit a home run against the Tampa Bay Rays. This meant he had hit a home run against all 30 MLB teams! He played 74 games for the Diamondbacks. The team made it to the playoffs and reached the National League pennant. Longoria played in every playoff game. The Diamondbacks also made it to the 2023 World Series, where they lost. This marked Longoria's second World Series appearance, 15 years after his first.
Evan Longoria has not officially retired, but he has said it is unlikely he will play professional baseball again.
Playing for Team USA
Longoria played for the United States national baseball team. He was part of the team at the 2007 Baseball World Cup. He also played in the 2009 World Baseball Classic, a big international baseball tournament. In 2014, he was chosen to be one of the MLB All-Stars to play in a special series in Japan.
Personal Life
Evan Longoria's name is similar to actress Eva Longoria's. This has led to some fun comparisons between them, even though they are not related. When Evan became an All-Star, Eva sent him champagne and a note. Evan sent her signed jerseys in return.
Longoria was the cover athlete for the video game Major League Baseball 2K10. He also appeared in commercials for the game and for Gillette and New Era hats.
Evan Longoria enjoys playing the drums. He taught himself how to play and even had a drum kit at Tropicana Field, the Rays' home stadium. He owns a drumhead signed by the band Rush.
Longoria married Jaime Edmondson on December 31, 2015. They have three children together. He also owns a restaurant in South Tampa called "Ducky's," which opened in 2013.
Viral Video
In May 2011, a video of Evan Longoria went viral online. In the video, he was being interviewed during batting practice. A foul ball flew towards the reporter, and Longoria caught it with his bare hand. The video became very popular, getting millions of views.
At first, Longoria said the video was real. However, years later, he admitted that the catch was staged. Many people had already suspected it was fake. Some thought it might be an advertisement for Gillette because the company's logo was clearly visible in the background. Others pointed out that the reporter was not named, and no TV channel claimed the video. Fact-checking websites also concluded it was fake, noting the lack of safety gear and the reporter's close distance to the field. It was later revealed that the ball and the Gillette logos were added using computers. Gillette has never officially said if it was an advertisement.
Images for kids
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Longoria in 2008
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- List of Major League Baseball players to hit for the cycle
- List of Major League Baseball career home run leaders
