He’s arguably the most well-know player in Tampa Bay Rays history, even close to a decade since his departure. And fans will get to see him back at Tropicana Field this week.
The Rays have announced that former third baseman Evan Longoria will throw out the first pitch prior to the team’s game against the Cleveland Guardians Saturday.
Longoria spent ten seasons in Tampa Bay, and remains the franchise’s all-time leader in games played (1,435), at-bats (5,450), home runs (251), RBI (892), runs scored (780), doubles (338), and walks (569). He was named American League Rookie of the Year in 2008, was named an All-Star in each of his first three seasons with the Rays (2008-2010), earned three Gold Gloves at third base (2009, 2010, 2017) and had three top-ten finishes in MVP voting, with a high of six the place in both 2010 and 2013.
Longoria was traded by the Rays to the San Francisco Giants prior to the 2018 season. He played five years with the Giants before playing with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2023, contributing to their National League pennant.
Steve Carney is the founder and publisher of St. Pete Nine. One of the people most associated with baseball coverage in Tampa Bay, he spent 13 seasons covering the Rays for flagship radio station WDAE, first as producer of Rays Radio broadcasts, then as beat reporter beginning in 2011. He likes new analytics and aged bourbon, and is the owner of one of the ugliest knuckleballs ever witnessed by baseball scouts.
