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.


The Rays had the lowest payroll in the league but they hopped on their rookie's back and rode him all the way to the World Series. Tropicana Field in Tampa also had the lowest average attendance of any teams, and by the end of the year was filling it up. This just goes to show that it doesn't matter if you have the most money, but what you do with what you have.


He has proven that even one person canchange the whole community and attitude towards the game. That against all odds you can do the nearly impossible. It shows what can happen with a little hard work. What can happen in this situation is anything and everything. And that includes the impossibility of the World Series.


Work hard and despite the background or community you can overcome any obstacle. Even Longoria stepped into a troubled team and changed the attitude with hard work, and he didn't have to get paid in the millions.