Tucked between bobbleheads and snapback hats in the Tampa Bay Rays’ promotional schedule is one big event that stands above the rest: an entire weekend built around Evan Longoria, the man who helped put the Tampa Bay franchise on the map.
“Longo’s Legacy Weekend” runs Saturday and Sunday, July 11 and 12, at Tropicana Field in games against the Seattle Mariners. On July 11, Longoria gets inducted into the Rays Hall of Fame in a pre-game ceremony starting at 4 pm, so be sure to arrive early. The first 10,000 people will also receive a custom No. 3 Longo snapback hat presented by Union Home Mortgage.
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On July 12, the Rays retire Longo’s No. 3 jersey, putting him alongside Wade Boggs’s 12, Don Zimmer’s 66, and Jackie Robinson’s universally retired 42. That’s the whole list. Four numbers, one franchise, twenty-eight years of existence. Longoria’s statue already greets fans outside Gate 4, frozen mid-celebration, so the actual man can finally stand next to his own bronze self and compare notes on aging gracefully.
Also at the July 12 game: Tantric, the band behind Evan’s iconic walkup song “Down And Out,” will honor Longo by playing one final walkup song live from the field. After the game, they’re hosting a free concert across the street at Ferg’s. Additionally, the first 10,000 fans at Sunday’s game will receive a custom Longo “bobblecard” presented by DEX.
You can find the full schedule, more details, and ticket links here. And there’s plenty more Longo hype all weekend long, with activations both days including:
- Chalk Art: See chalk art inside Tropicana Field honoring Evan’s time in The Show. Chalk art will be located at Gate 1.
- Longo’s Legacy Mural at Ferg’s: Make a pregame stop by Ferg’s – Tropicana Field’s next-door neighbor and the #1 sports bar in America – to see Longo’s Legacy highlighted in mural form, facing his old stomping grounds.
- Longo Cuts: Stop by the barbershop pop-up near Gate 1 inside Tropicana Field to get a Longo-inspired cut. Will you go with the Draft Day, the Longo-Hawk, the Big #3, or another iconic cut?
- Longo’s Legacy Weekend Game Balls: Do your best to get your hands on a game ball this weekend, as each will be impressed with a special Longo’s Legacy Weekend insignia.
- Shop at Bay Republic: Special Longo-themed merch will be available at the Bay Republic Team Stores inside Tropicana Field!
For anyone who needs the refresher, Longoria played ten seasons in Tampa Bay, won the 2008 AL Rookie of the Year award, picked up three Gold Gloves, and hit the most famous swing in franchise history: a walk-off homer in the final game of the 2011 season that sent the Rays to the playoffs and sent half of New York into therapy. He officially retired as a Ray last June on a ceremonial one-day contract, the baseball equivalent of getting one more group photo with your old college roommates before everyone scatters for good.
The Rays will wear home white uniforms on July 11 instead of their usual City Connect look, a small gesture that says they’re taking this seriously. The team will also wear throwback Devil Rays jerseys every Friday this season, a weekly reminder of just how far this franchise has traveled, from an expansion club to an organization with legendary jerseys hanging in the rafters.
Get your tickets, grab your free hat, and bring tissues. Longo’s Legacy Weekend promises baseball, nostalgia, and at least one grown adult openly weeping into a stadium nacho boat.
