Longoria leads in voting for final All-Star spot
With fans voting in record-setting numbers, Rays rookie third baseman Evan Longoria is leading the very close race for the final All-Star spot, which MLB said Monday afternoon is separated by only a few percentage points.
Longoria (left), one of the five candidates for the last spot in the American League, is followed by White Sox OF Jermaine Dye, Yankees 1B Jason Giambi, Orioles INF Brian Roberts and Royals slugger Jose Guillen.
MLB said that in the opening 24 hours of voting, more than 11 million votes were cast, a record for the first day and an increase of 115 percent compared to the same period in 2007.
The online voting on mlb.com will conclude Thursday at 5 p.m.
To vote, click here.
-JOE SMITH
[James Borchuck, Times files]
Follow Tampa Bay Rays baseball from spring training to the World Series with Marc Topkin, Joe Smith and the St. Petersburg Times sports staff. From Evan Longoria to B.J. Upton and James Shields, we're your source for Tampa Bay Rays scores and schedules.
Go Jermaine!!!
He deserves it!
Posted by: Mary Neal | July 09, 2008 at 12:33 AM
Go Evan!!!
He deserves it!
Posted by: Jennifer Neal | July 08, 2008 at 10:18 PM
i think its quite wonderful. haha GO DYE!!!
Posted by: white sox 05 world champs<3 | July 08, 2008 at 03:46 PM
FIX!!!
MLB Can't stand the Rays being in first place!!! If they botched Giambi's stats, Bud Selig would fly to NY and personally apologize to the Freak of Nature.
FIX!!!
Posted by: | July 08, 2008 at 03:00 PM
That is absolutely rediculous!!!
It shows he only has 60 AB's, .250 avg, and 3 HR's.
FIX!!!
If that causes Longo to lose out, Kaz and Navi should boycott the game!!!
Talk about what a story of team play that would be!!!
FIX!!!
Posted by: | July 08, 2008 at 02:58 PM
If you go to vote for Evan Longoria and click on (compare stats)they have his stats wrong. I think Mlb is trying for the fix.
check it out for yourself
Posted by: chris | July 08, 2008 at 02:50 PM
and to that person who put evan longorias myspace on here..i think its hilarious how you actually think thats hiM!!! hHAHAHAAHHA
Posted by: | July 08, 2008 at 02:30 PM
huh who cares about 1968? wow these tampa people are stupid for sure. listen your lil baby longoria doesnt deserve it. GO DYE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: longoria is a joke | July 08, 2008 at 02:29 PM
This is a link correction to one of the previous posters(who left out the "n").
http://www.myspace.com/evanlongoria3
Posted by: Tom C | July 08, 2008 at 02:14 PM
what does Chicago know about voting? I got 2 words to say....Mayor Daley! Wasnt he in charge in 1968 when they had the riots at Democratic convention that spilled out in the streets?! What a clown! Go long, Longoria!
Posted by: Tom C | July 08, 2008 at 02:12 PM
what does chicago know about voting???? um hellooooo in 2005 we got podsednik in with the final vote and in 2006 we got aj pierzynski in..what does CHICAGO know about voitng??? what does TAMPA know about voting?? or baseball for that matter. longoria should be in the minors and what does that mean the public library closes at night? im not voting at a library wow these florida people really are out there. seriously bandwagon fans probly. ive doubt youve been rays fans forever or else you woulda killed yourself by now
Posted by: | July 08, 2008 at 01:57 PM
What does Chicago know about voting anyway?
Posted by: Donald Lance | July 08, 2008 at 08:32 AM
Evan Longoria, by far and away, should be on the AL All-Star team. He's damn close to being worthy of a starting position. But since the voting for starters is left up to the fans, most of whom live in cities with teams who have much more history than we in Tampa Bay have, that won't happen. Getting Evan on the team as a reserve is the best we can do. As for the White Sox fans who feel Dye is more deserving, well I guess the public library closes at night so you can't vote around the clock. LOL!
Posted by: Rob | July 08, 2008 at 07:11 AM
LETS GO JASON, EVAN SHOULD STILL BE IN THE MINORS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: | July 08, 2008 at 03:28 AM
yeah so what? THE defensive 3rd baseman in baseball? look at joe crede hes alot better. listen im happy for the rays that there doing good and i do hope they make the playoffs cuz that means the red sox or yankees wont win the division! haha..on that note LETS GO DYE!!!!!!!
Posted by: sox!!!!! | July 08, 2008 at 12:13 AM
im not saying jermaine dye doesnt deserve it honestly thats who i want to do if longo doesnt get in but he is an outfielder there supposed to put up those number and longoria has been the defensive 3rd baseman in baseball and has come up with key hit after key hit. he is unbelieveable
Posted by: wow | July 07, 2008 at 11:44 PM
longoria does not deserve it!! if anyone does its jermaine dye! longorias only batting .283 thats not all star material well apperently this year anything goes for the all star game dye deserves it.
Posted by: boooooo longoria | July 07, 2008 at 11:26 PM
LETS GO DYE LETS GO DYE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: we love the sox! | July 07, 2008 at 11:24 PM
longoria..HAHHA.... VOTE JERMAINE DYE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: white sox are number 1 | July 07, 2008 at 11:23 PM
Keep Longo on top!!
Posted by: mario | July 07, 2008 at 07:34 PM
Check out his website: www.myspace.com/evalongoria3
Posted by: E Longo | July 07, 2008 at 07:13 PM
If you have unlimited texting on your cell phone, txt your vote to 36197 and then keep hitting "resend" - a little quicker.
Posted by: Doug | July 07, 2008 at 05:37 PM
http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/events/all_star/y2008/fv/ballot.html
Better link to send...
Posted by: Jason | July 07, 2008 at 04:50 PM
I have voted 300 times. Get the message out. Send this link to everyone in your email address book.
http://tampabay.rays.mlb.com/ and find the link for Final Vote.
Melissa is a dream woman!
Posted by: Jason | July 07, 2008 at 04:45 PM
I'm in love with Melissa....
Rock The Vote - Longo Has Earned It!
Posted by: A-Rod | July 07, 2008 at 04:42 PM
the pins are making my eyes bleery. must... keep... voting
Posted by: melissa | July 07, 2008 at 04:31 PM
keep voting for E-Long!!!!
Posted by: shane | July 07, 2008 at 03:50 PM