Tampa Celebrates Rays Legend Evan Longoria

On June 7, baseball star Evan Longoria signed his final contract: a symbolic one-day deal with Tampa Bay. The team that drafted him in 2006 will add him to their Hall of Fame next year.

"This always felt like the place for me. I always felt comfortable putting on the Rays jersey," said Longoria to The Tampa Bay Times.

At bat, he set club records with 261 home runs and 892 RBIs. His career stats shine bright: 16 seasons, a .264 average, 342 homers total, and 1,159 runs driven in. His glove work dazzled fans just as much as his power at the plate.

"You're looking at the person who was the most transformative player we've had by leaps and bounds," said Rays owner Stuart Sternberg to Motorcycle Sports.

The skilled infielder won three Gold Gloves and made three All-Star teams. His biggest moment? A walk-off blast against the Yankees in Game 162 of 2011, sending Tampa Bay to October baseball. That swing lives on in team history.

After a decade in Tampa, he played five years with San Francisco. His final season came with Arizona in 2023. The retirement event took place at Steinbrenner Field, the Rays' current home, while workers fix hurricane damage at Tropicana Field.

A grander celebration awaits next year back at the Trop. "Once we get back into the Trop, I'll be able to properly speak to the fans on the field and get inducted into the Rays Hall of Fame and do it where we all started," said Longoria to WUSF.

Brandon Lowe, who plays second base now, speaks of the standard set years ago: "It was always somebody that was brought up to us ... He enjoys doing this. He doesn't miss ground balls," said Lowe.