ONPING DAY.

BUT NOW HE -- ON OPENING DAY.

THIRD BASEMAN FROM TAMPA BAY,

THS

EVENT IN 2006.

THE PHILLY FIRST BASEMAN HAS

TREMENDOUS STRENGTH AND POWER TO

ALL FIELDS.

THE AMERICAN LEAGUE HOME RUN

LEADER, GRADY SIZEMORE, WITH

QUICK HANDS AND COMPACT SWING

THAT PROVIDES POWER.

NOW AT THE PLATE, EVAN LONGORIA,

THE TAMPA BAY RAYS FIRST

ALL-STAR GAME APPEARANCE, NAMED

TO THE TEAM AFTER WINNING THE

FINAL VOTE FAN BALLOT WITH A

RECORD NINE MILLION VOTES.

UNLIKE SIZEMORE AND UGGLA, HIS

FIRST SWINGS DON'T RESULT IN

HOME RUNS.

THAT ONE TO RIGHT CENTER, AND IT

DOES LEAVE.

A LITTLE OPPOSITE FIELD POWER

FROM EVAN LONGORIA.

AS YOU WATCH HIM, PETER, HE HAS

ONE OF THE SMOOTHER, UNASSUMING

STROKES.

WHERE DID HE COME FROM?

>> Peter: WELL, LIKE BOBBY

CROSBY AND TROY TULOWITZKI, LONG

BEACH STATE SHORTSTOP.

PRETTY GOOD PLACE.

I REMEMBER WATCHING HIM, HE

WALKS ON THE FIELD, EXUDES SUCH

CONFIDENCE.

I ALSO THINK IT'S INTERESTING,

THAT BRAD MILLS, RED SOX COACH,

IN B.P., MAY SEE HIS SON,.

>> Buster: HILLS, IN THIS HOME

RUN HITTING CONTEST IN ABOUT

FIVE YEARS.

GRADE PROSPECT FOR THE INDIANS.

>> Karl: YOU ALMOST WANT TO SAY

TAKE A DEEP BREATH, EVAN, YOU'RE

AT YANKEE STADIUM, RICK, CHILL

OUT, RELACKS.

I KNOW IT'S FUN TO HIT IT HERE,

BUT SLOW DOWN.

>> IT'S OVERWHELMING.

IN THIS COUNTRY WE TEAR DOWN OUR

ROMAN KOL SEE UMS.

I'D LOVE TO SEE THIS PLACE STAY.

IT'S BIGGER THAN SPORTS.

WE HAD THREE POPES SAY MASS.

JOE LEWIS BEAT HITLER'S

SCHMELLING.

JONNY UNITAS, FIRST-EVER SUDDEN

DEATH OVERTIME FOOTBALL GAME WAS

PLAYED HERE.

THIS IS AN AMERICAN ICON.

I HATE TO SEE IT TORN DOWN.

I SEE WHY YOU MIGHT GET

OVERWHELMED.

>> Karl: HE HAS ONE HOME RUN AND

FIVE OUTS.

KRUKIE SAID THE SAME THING ABOUT

COMING TO THIS BUILDING.

YOU REMEMBER YOUR FIRST TIME.

>> Joe: ABSOLUTELY, FIRST AT-BAT

IT'S SCARY.

REALLY SCARY.

CAN'T IMAGINE WHAT EVAN LONGORIA

SUCH A YOUNG PLAYER, IS THROUGH.

HAVING TO FACE NO BATTING CAGE

AROUND HIM, HIM ON THE FIELD,

AND ALL THOSE PEOPLE WATCHING

HIM.

>> AND NOBODY IS WEARING A

HELMET.

THIS IS A DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE

THAN WHAT THEY'RE USED TO.

>> Karl: NO BATTING CAGE.

BOOMER?

STRUGGLING, TAKE A BREATH,

RELAX!

>> Chris: HE'S YOUNG, 22, I MEAN

HE WASN'T OWN THE OPENING DAY

ROSTER.

AS YOU KNOW.

IT'S A BRONX CHEER, WHAT DO YOU

EXPECT?

TALK ABOUT THE BUILDING.

>> Steve: RAYS AHEAD OF THE

YANKEES, THEY KNOW THAT.

>> Chris: THEY'RE BOOING THE

RAYS IN NEW YORK.

THEY USED TO BE LIKE, IT WAS

LIKE THE CHRISTIANS AND THE

LIONS.

THIS ONE IS DOWN THE LINE, OH,

FAIR BALL!

HOME RUN.

YOU KNOW WHAT THEY RAVE ABOUT

HIM, AT TAMPA BAY?

YOU GUYS KNOW IT, HIS FIELDING.

RIGHT?

>> Steve: OUTSTANDING WITH THE

GLOVE.

DON ZIMMER, LONG-TIME BASEBALL

MAN, SAYS HE TAKES A BACK SEAT

TO NOBODY.

HE CAN MAKE EVERY PLAY A THIRD

BASEMAN NEEDS TO MAKE.

>> Chris: THIS ONE IS WAY BACK.

>> Joe: UPPER DECK.

HE'S ABLE TO RELAX AFTER HE MADE

SEVEN OUTS.

THOSE ARE UPPER DECK SHOTS.

>> Chris: THEY HEARD YOU, RAVI,

DOWN HERE.

THEY HAVE CABLE DOWN ON THE

FIELD, APPARENTLY.

HOW ABOUT THOSE RAYS, HUH?

FROM, LIKE, HORRIBLE IN A PUNCH

LINE EVERY YEAR, TO FIRST PLACE?

>> Joe: THIS CAME AT A PERFECT

TIME FOR THEM, THE ALL-STAR

BREAK.

I THINK IT GIVES THEM A CHANCE

TO REGROUP.

THEY ARE A GOOD BALL CLUB.

>> Chris: DO THEY STAY IN IT FOR

SIX MONTHS?

>> Joe: I THINK SO.

>> Steve: I DO, TOO.

I THINK THEY HAVE GREAT DEPTH

AND BALANCE EVERY ASPECT OF THE

GAME.

>> Joe: YOUNG GUYS HAVE A

TENDENCY TO GET HOT, GET COLD.

THESE WHAT YOU LIVE WITH, WITH

YOUNG PLAYERS.

I EXPECT THEM TO GET HOT AGAIN

AND PLAY WELL.

>> Chris: HERE IS THE GOLD BALL,

NOW.

FOR LONGORIA, WITH THREE HOME

RUNS.

DAN LAUG AND GRADY SIZEMORE WITH

SIX TO START IT OUT.

IF YOU ARE JUST DOWN TUNING IN,

YOUNG EVAN LONGORIA, 22 YEARS OF

AGE, ROOKIE FROM THE RAYS.

TRYING TO STAY IN IT, WILL THIS

HAVE ENOUGH HEIGHT?

NOT QUITE.

SO, LONGORIA WILL END WITH A