Curtain About To Rise Again On Longoria Show

And now the second act.

Actually, we've had a sneak preview. It came while Evan Longoria played in his first splashy golf tournament this offseason. The 2008 American League Rookie of the Year was invited to the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, where he played pretty well and made the scene. When you're 23, no matter what you've already done, there's a lot of kid left in you.

"I met Bo Jackson. I met Bo at the Bob Hope Classic," Longoria said. "He played in front of me for two days straight. He's funny. Bo knows. It was pretty cool. I introduced myself. I said 'Hello, Mr. Jackson.' He called me 'Mr. Longoria' back. I thought it was pretty cool that he knew who I was."

The curtain is about to go up on Mr. Longoria all over again. You couldn't have crammed more highlights into the premiere, outside of a few more October hits and a World Series trophy.

But there's no real way to rain on the parade that was the AL Rookie of the Year. Longoria was a revelation. It went beyond the 27 home runs, plus a rookie record six more in the postseason. It went beyond the RBIs or the uncanny glove at third base. It went to a presence beyond his now 23 years, confidence without cockiness. Never too high, never too low - Even Longoria. Underneath it all, a certain "It" factor.

Longoria stood at his locker and talked about his offseason. There are no worries about staying with the big club or a contract or most anything else. It's only about getting better.

"I definitely feel more relaxed coming in to this year," Longoria said.

Sometimes, he feels like last season ended about 19 minutes ago. Longoria feels that way. When it was over, he returned to California to decompress. "I made it a point just to go home and not answer my phone for a month," Longoria said.

True, he is Longo, newly crowned celebrity, and certain things go with that. Back in the Bay area, he hit a few Super Bowl parties in the best "being-seen" tradition, but skipped going to the big ballgame.

"I had a great time watching the Super Bowl at the Hooters across the street from my house," Longoria said.

Here's a sophomore who doesn't believe in jinxes. Here's Longo, aiming for the sky and seeing no limits. Here's Longo, seemingly as grounded as ever. He just had his four wisdom teeth pulled, but he has plenty of wisdom left, more than most young players do.

He has definite ideas about his game:

"I definitely think I can repeat what I did last year, if not better. I like to set realistic goals for myself, not outrageous ones. If I had 15 more years like I had last year, I'd be very, very happy with that. Twenty-seven home runs, you know, whatever, those are pretty solid numbers, but I definitely think with a lot of hard work I can be a better player than I was last year and, hopefully, continue to raise the bar every year.

"I know what to expect now from the league. It's about honing that a little more. It's about taking the things I know and fine-tuning them."

He is way ahead of us. Longoria hasn't even played a full major-league season, and he has ideas about stardom and how he'd like to be. He thinks about Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter, whose stature is unmatched, and not just because he plays next to third baseman Young and Stupid.

"There's such a following for Derek Jeter," Longoria said. "He's kind of the All-American baseball player. He's the standard for everybody in our era.

"I think the reason I'd love to mold myself after him is that for 13 years, or however long he's played, he's kept his nose clean, and what he says is always right on point. I don't know if that's the way he was raised or that's the way I was raised. He stays out of the controversy, he says the right things. That's one of the things I'd like to do in my career, have the same kind of aura about me. Keep your nose clean and you're going to be all right."

It's good to be Longo. But he knows the stage cuts both ways. Jeter's star has glowed all the brighter in the postseason. Longoria's rookie October was doing the very same thing, with all those homers and 13 RBIs. Then along came the World Series. Longoria got one hit in 20 at-bats.

"I was living a dream pretty much in the playoffs," Longoria said. "It wasn't like I was so high that I thought I was untouchable; that wasn't the case. But it definitely brought me back into reality quickly of how this game can humble you in a heartbeat.

"You go from doing so, so well, to just the bottom - that was the bottom of the bottom. I got a hit, what, in the second-to-last game? I had one hit the whole Series. It definitely shows you this game can knock you on your [butt]."

Evan Longoria stood at his locker. He's beginning his second season. He wants to be a certain kind of player with a certain kind of career.

"Twenty years from now, I'd want my legacy to be: "Hey, he was a great guy; he played the game right; he kept his nose clean.' "

He thought about Jeter.

"People see him as a normal person. They look and say, 'Hey, he's like me. He's just like me.' I'd love to carry myself that way."

Jeter lives in Tampa. Longoria bumped into him at the mall a few times this offseason. They chatted.

Mr. Jeter?

Longoria smiled.

"I think I can call him Derek now."