In his first two seasons in Major League Baseball, 23 year old Tampa Rays third baseman Evan Longoria has emerged as one of baseball's most popular and complete players. A two time All-Star, Longoria was unanimously voted American League ...See moreIn his first two seasons in Major League Baseball, 23 year old Tampa Rays third baseman Evan Longoria has emerged as one of baseball's most popular and complete players. A two time All-Star, Longoria was unanimously voted American League Rookie of the Year in 2008. Last October, Longoria played a major role in the breakout performance of the AL champion Tampa Bay Rays; setting a rookie record for most homeruns in the postseason by hitting 6 in his first nine games. With a deceptively casual yet lethal swing, Longoria makes the game look easy however, his path to stardom was anything but a sure thing. After high school he was not among the 1480 players selected in the 2003 amateur baseball draft; nor was he recruited to play division one college baseball. From unheralded junior college prospect to burgeoning superstar, Longoria has utilized a cerebral approach to baseball, employing various psychological tools to maximize his focus and performance.
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