ST. PETERSBURG -- For all his incredible clutch hits and all the weight he carried as the face of a franchise, the funny thing about Evan Longoria is he doesn’t really love the spotlight. Not in the way it’s shining directly on him this weekend, anyway.
Longoria had been thinking about this moment every night for six months, trying to imagine what it would be like to walk out of the Rays’ home dugout and see so many fans wearing his jersey, donning giveaway hats with his No. 3 on them and remembering his accomplishments.
He still wasn’t ready for the wave of emotions that accompanied the real thing as “Longo’s Legacy Weekend” began with a celebration of his iconic career with Tampa Bay before the Rays’ 6-1 win over the Mariners on Saturday afternoon at Tropicana Field.
“I tried to do some visualization. It didn't quite work,” Longoria said, laughing. “I did about as much mental preparation as I could, and it still didn't compare.”
A year after signing a ceremonial one-day contract to retire with Tampa Bay, Longoria was inducted into the Rays Hall of Fame in a pregame ceremony on Saturday. On Sunday, he’ll have his No. 3 officially retired.
As cool, calm and collected as Longoria always seemed in the batter’s box, this kind of recognition and speech-making isn’t where the 40-year-old feels most comfortable.
“I would much rather try to play a baseball game right now than do that again,” he said afterward, laughing.
But these are fitting honors for the greatest player in Rays history. Not just for what he did on the field during his 10 seasons with the team, but for the impact he had on the franchise and the way his legacy lives on within the organization.
“What he did on the field speaks for itself, but the way he carried himself, the leader that he was, what he meant to the fanbase, to his teammates and coaching staffs, the entire organization -- he did it the right way,” manager Kevin Cash said.
You could see what he meant by looking around the Trop on Saturday.
The stands were packed with fans clad in Longoria gear. Many former teammates made the trip to take part in the festivities, including Eric Hinske, James Shields, Chris Archer, Alex Cobb and Kevin Kiermaier. Fellow Rays Hall of Famer Wade Boggs was in attendance, as were the families of late Rays Hall of Famers Don Zimmer and Dave Wills.
During the induction ceremony, hosted by radio broadcaster Andy Freed with speeches from TV broadcaster Dewayne Staats and CEO Ken Babby, the Rays dugout was packed with players, coaches and staff.
“He helped transform this club into something much greater,” Babby said. “He helped build a winning culture, established an identity and set a standard of excellence that continues to define Rays baseball today. Evan embraced Tampa Bay, and Tampa Bay embraced Evan.”
There was a video montage of messages from key figures in franchise history, including fellow Rays Hall of Famers Carl Crawford and Fred McGriff, longtime teammate David Price and former principal owner Stuart Sternberg. Longoria said he had five suites full of people in town for the occasion.
Seeing all that was clearly meaningful to Longoria, who said during his speech he misses being around his teammates more than he misses the game itself. So was getting to share it with his wife, Jaime, his three children and his parents, who were all seated near the stage as he donned a special Rays Hall of Fame jacket.
“I always felt like this was my home. My family always felt like this was a place that they could call home,” Longoria said. “Every time we come back, it feels like this is the place that we belong.”
The fans’ support wasn’t lost on Longoria, either, as he made clear while addressing them directly in a roughly 10-minute speech.
“I’ll never be able to put into words the love I felt from you, putting on the Rays’ No. 3,” Longoria said. “From queuing the violins [in his walk-up song, Tantric’s 'Down and Out'] for 10 years to tossing in front of the dugout before every game and finding a fan to toss that ball to, you inspired me every day to bring the best version of myself to the ballpark.
“It all felt right, and it was one of the greatest joys of my life. Thank you.”
Longoria spent most of his speech recounting his time with Tampa Bay, starting with the MLB Draft party 20 years ago when the then-Devil Rays selected him third overall and mentioning the famously terrible round of batting practice he took after signing with the team.
“Pretty embarrassing,” he said, smiling. “Thankfully I was a better hitter at 7 than I was at 4:30.”
He credited Sternberg, former team presidents Matt Silverman and Brian Auld, former executive Andrew Friedman and current president of baseball operations Erik Neander for turning the Rays from an afterthought into “the powerhouse we’ve become.”
He recognized 95-year-old Soot Zimmer, and her husband’s influential role in shaping his career. He thanked both of his managers with the team, Joe Maddon and Cash. He credited Hinske for teaching him how to become a good teammate. He even thanked the security guards in the players’ parking lot and the staff working inside the Rays’ family room.
The part where Longoria admittedly had to hold back his emotions came near the end, though, when he thanked his parents and family. Near the end of his speech, he spoke directly to his children, saying how proud he is of them while describing the traits that made the Rays so proud to call him their own.
“I hope that being here today helps you see that with belief, hard work and perseverance, you can do anything you set out to do,” Longoria said. “I love you all.”