Their leader wasn’t supposed to be the next big thing or anything special at all he was just average. Evan Longoria is the upcoming 3rd baseman for the revitalized Rays. The team had never had had a winning season until 2008, with a roster full of 1st round draft picks. And with the lowest payroll in the league they were in the richest and toughest division in baseball. In Spring Training there is always a glint of hope, and an expectation of a bust year, it comes with playing in Tampa.

After an offseason overhaul the new look Rays had locked up Evan Longoria hoping he performed at least as well as they thought he would. It’s like trying to take over a lowly and bad project and dramatically change it for the better. How hard would it be to make such a splash, in an environment that’s so used to losing. And that only one person changed the feel of the whole club. This is what Longoria accomplished as a rookie.