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Longoria Living The Dream

The Assoiciated Press

Tampa Bay Rays' Evan Longoria, left, and Texas Rangers' Josh Hamilton talk during batting practice for the Major League Baseball All-Star Home Run Derby at Yankee Stadium in New York.

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By MARTIN FENNELLY | The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 15, 2008

NEW YORK - He was 17 when he first visited the great ballpark in the Bronx. He was on vacation from California. A friend's mom got tickets.

"We sat four rows behind home plate," Evan Longoria said. "They were just to the left, behind the Yankees' batter's box." They saw Harold Reynolds two rows in front of them!

"I actually wore a Derek Jeter shirt," Longoria said.

It was five years later, and Derek Jeter sat across the way from 22-year-old Evan Longoria in a New York City hotel ballroom. Later, they went to Yankee Stadium. Instead of sitting two back of Harold Reynolds, Longoria dressed next to Manny Ramirez.

The Candy-Colored Longo Dream Machine rolled into the All-Star Game. Nine million voters (though it is believed Evan's younger brothers, Adam and Luke, voted 1.4 million times) made the Rays' rookie third baseman the game's youngest participant. Oh, and Major League Baseball invited him into Monday's Home Run Derby.

To review: 22 years old, his first All-Star Game is the last All-Star Game ever played here and a long-ball contest before 53,000 people in a yard christened 85 years ago with a home run by a man named Ruth. Sure, why not.

"I was in awe to just come play in a normal game," Longoria said.

"You can't write this," said Mike Longoria, Evan's dad. "You can't talk about this. You can't dream this."

You just go and do it.

Longo did.

Reason To Be Excited

True to his nature, the rookie tried to take it in stride.

Don't be fooled.

He was excited.

Mike Longoria remembers when his son phoned to say fans had voted him on the All-Star team. Evan's first all-star team was in CYO back home in Downey, Calif.

It was no different this time.

"He blurted out 'I made All-Stars!' like he was a 12-year-old," Mike said.

Dad stood in the box seats behind home plate before the Home Run Derby. The family flew all Monday to be here. Evan's mom, Ellie, had gone for food with daughter Alexandra. Adam and Luke? Evan's kid brothers were on the field with him. Adam is 19 and Lucas is 13. When Luke found out he'd get to go on the field with Evan, he summarized as only a 13-year-old can.

"That's sick."

It all is, really.

Four years ago, Evan Longoria was an undersized, undrafted high school baseball player. Two years ago, he was the third pick in the draft. Four months ago, he'd never played a major-league game. Monday night, he was at Yankee Stadium, and when the stars came out, he came with them - and looked like he belonged.

It was a dream come true, even if Evan never talked about it, ever.

"He never said it. He just believed it," Mike said.

"I don't think I'm going to realize the significance of the whole thing until maybe a year or two from now, maybe longer," Evan said. "I can tell my children and grandchildren I played in the last All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium."

There he was, taking grounders next to Alex Rodriguez during the American League workout. Wonder what they talked about?

"Evan, just find yourself the right girl."

Oh, forget that.

Longo brought some bats for the other All-Stars to sign. He's buying his first house this offseason and wants a memorabilia room.

Some memories you can't hang on walls.

Right Where He Belonged

They go deep inside, in places where kids go to bed at night dreaming about summer nights in places like this.

"To think you're playing where Mickey Mantle played, this is where Babe Ruth played," Longoria said.

He was showered with kids' baseballs, thrown from the stands, when he stopped to sign. Like the Babe way before him, he signed and signed; the only one who signed as much was Derek Jeter.

It's like Mike Longoria, who works in the paint shop for the Long Beach, Calif., school district, said the other day:

"You love to hear they do it right, It's like when they go to sleepovers when they're young and the other parents say how good they are."

Evan Longoria didn't win the Home Run Derby, going one round and out with only three homers, though he twice went upper deck in left field after Yankees fans razzed him with the chant "We want Jason," for their man Giambi, who Longoria beat out in voting.

Then Longo took a seat with everyone else and watched in awe as former Rays prospect Josh Hamilton reduced everyone to T-ballers with moon shots. It was sick. After one 500-footer by Hamilton, Evan Longoria jumped out of his seat. He wasn't four rows back. He was right where he belonged, on the field. You know, of dreams.

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