Rays icon Evan Longoria to celebrate major announcement in June ceremony

The Rays have had some star-studded athletes wear their jersey from Hall of Famers Fred McGriff and Wade Boggs to the speedy Carl Crawford and first round pick David Price. However, few will be remembered as well as the Rays great third baseman Evan Longoria. Steady defense, clutch hitting, and pure leadership were the staples of this franchise player. In June, Longoria will be honored with a one-day contract with the Tampa Bay Rays, so that he can retire with the organization that had the greatest impact on his splendid career.

Evan Longoria will sign one-day contract and retire as a member of the Rays

The long-time Rays third baseman will officially retire from baseball as a member of his beloved Tampa Bay club. The 2006 first round pick spent ten seasons with the Rays, collecting multiple accolades in the process. In his time in Tampa, Longoria was named AL Rookie of the Year (2008), appeared in three All-Star games (2008-2010), and received three Gold Glove awards (2009-2010, 2017). Surprisingly, these awards are not quite what the California native is known for among Rays fans.

The Long Beach State product is actually recognized as one of the clutchest players in the franchise's history. The 6'1 corner infielder remains the leader in walk-off home runs with five blasts to end the game. Of those walk-offs, there is one in particular that will forever be engrained in the memories of Rays fans.

In 2011, the Rays were facing the Yankees on the last game of the season for a chance to be added to the postseason bracket. The rival Red Sox and Rays were tied with the same exact record on the last day of the season. The Orioles were an immense help as they defeated Boston with a walk-off single from Robert Andino.

Now, the stage was set for a fairy tale ending where the Rays run off into the sunset with a playoff berth. In the bottom of the 12th inning of a tied ballgame, Evan Longoria smoked a line drive home run over the short wall in left field. Tropicana Field erupted into mayhem as the Rays knew that they had earned a spot in the 2011 postseason. This moment, along with several others, are what have made Longoria the proverbial face of the franchise. Best of luck to him in retirement!