He’s the franchise now, at all of 25 years old, the all-American kid born in Downey, California, birthplace of the Apollo space program.
One thing is for sure: Evan Longoria‘s career has certainly taken off.
Longoria, or “Longo,” as all of us call him, is already becoming a bit of a legend in the Bay area. Many have already compared him to Brooks Robinson, the former Oriole great, who practically made third base the position it is today.
“E-Lo” has quickly become a top name in baseball conversations all across the nation. After all, Longoria is the only third baseman to make the All-Star team in each of his first three seasons in the league.
Not Robinson. Not Schmidt. Not Brett, or Matthews. Evan Longoria.
So with many considering him the best third baseman in the game right now, more and more pressure mounts on his shoulders to go along with the weight from the lineup that he’ll have to carry if the Rays wish to make the postseason again. You would think it would be too much for a 25-year-old to take.
But then again, it’s “Cool like Cali” Evan Longoria that we’re talking about here. He’s the face of the team, but he was born to handle the pressure. Only a few are like that. As his numbers grow, so will his expectations. It’s a natural occurrence, and Longoria continues to work hard to keep raising the bar.
He’s had to worry about other things recently as well. He’s had his 1969 Camaro (worth more than $75,000) stolen from a shop in Arizona and was also robbed when the rental house he, David Price and Reid Brignac were renting, was burglarized over the weekend.
None of that will make anything any easier for Evan, yet he seems to brush it off and keep going. Longoria came into the spring bulked up a bit from last season, looking in premier shape as he walked into the Port Charlotte training site, putting on some weight, ready to carry plenty of it this season.
His two Gold Glove awards have many coaches, players, writers and fans kicking up the Robinson comparisons. A Silver Slugger in 2009 and a spot in the home run derby his rookie year are just the start of his career offensive accolades and honors.
Longoria is looking to take the next step this season, going from a really good player to a great one. He’s averaged 40 doubles a season, which, if averaged over a 15-year span, would put him behind only George Brett in terms of third baseman in that category.
With the numbers comes the endorsements that go with it. “That’s my cap!” has swept across America, with Longoria jumping on helicopters on televisions all around the USA. He donned the cover of one of the biggest video games, with 2K Sports plastering him on MLB 2K10.
To go along with that, Longoria also appeared in this year’s version of the Gillette “Young Guns,” pitting him in a commercial with the Rockies‘ Carlos Gonzalez, NASCAR drivers Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin, NFL running back Ray Rice and quarterback Matt Ryan.
With the “Cali boy” look, the laid-back Longoria is just that way when it comes to pressure situations, but not at all when it comes to getting ready for a season. So while he may be living in the limelight, he’s also proving he’s more than worthy of it.
He wants to, realistically, be the greatest. Simple as that. That mentality will drive him to keep improving more and more. He may only be 25, but Evan Longoria is indeed on a quest to be the best.
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