Evan Longoria to sign 1-day contract to retire with the Tampa Bay Rays
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TAMPA, Fla. — Evan Longoria will sign a one-day contract with Tampa Bay and officially retire as a Ray on June 7.
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The greatest player in franchise history didn't play last season after spending the 2023 season in Arizona but never officially retired.
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Now he'll do it with the team where he built his illustrious career.
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'Evan Longoria's place in Rays history is unmatched,' president of baseball operations Erik Neander said in a statement. 'Evan leaves the game as our all-time leader in nearly every major offensive category. He not only defined an era of Rays baseball — he helped put us on the map. His impact, both on and off the field, laid the foundation for our success, and it's a privilege to celebrate his legacy.'
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The third baseman was selected with the third overall pick in the 2006 draft and starred for the Rays from 2008-2017. He's the team's all-time leader in WAR (51.7), games played (1,435), home runs (261), RBIs (892), runs (780), extra-base hits (618) and walks (569).
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He was the American League Rookie of the Year in 2008, a three-time All-Star and won Gold Glove Awards in 2009, 2010 and 2017. Longoria finished sixth in AL MVP voting in both 2010 and 2013 and won a Silver Slugger Award in 2009.
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Longoria's image was made into a statue placed outside of Gate 4 at Tropicana Field to depict his celebration of a walk-off home run in the 12th inning of the final regular-season game of 2011 that sent the Rays to the postseason.
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CBC
3 hours ago
- CBC
The FIFA World Cup is heading to Trump's U.S. Will the world want to come — or even be able to?
Social Sharing You could argue the United States isn't exactly the most welcoming country for visitors at the moment. There's been a surge of border crackdowns, new visa restrictions and an overall sense of fear over being detained amid multiple reports of foreigners being locked up for weeks in the five months since U.S. President Donald Trump took office. Yet, one of the biggest, most highly anticipated and attended sports events is coming to the U.S. next year: the 2026 FIFA World Cup, soccer's premiere international competition. The U.S. will co-host next year's World Cup with Mexico and Canada. Of the 16 host cities, 11 are on American soil. It's been estimated that, across the three countries, 6.5 million people will attend the tournament. FIFA president Gianni Infantino, an ally of Trump, has promised that international fans will be welcome at the World Cup. But Trump's immigration stance has raised questions about potential challenges for the numerous international fans expected to travel to the U.S. Human rights organizations such as Human Rights Watch have raised "grave concerns" about the matches being held in the U.S. And at the same time that excitement has started to build for the tournament — and Toronto and Vancouver have started preparing for a deluge of soccer fans — there have been calls to boycott the U.S. as a host. The current political climate in the U.S., if it continues, could be a considerable deterrent, especially for fans from countries that are at odds with America, according to Vijay Setlur, an expert in sport marketing and sport business in the Schulich School of Business at York University. "I could see fans potentially staying away out of a fear of being detained. Even though they're there to watch soccer, they could be accused of espionage or something like that," Setlur told CBC News. "It could be a big problem." Iran for instance, was one of the first teams to qualify for the World Cup, but the two countries are engaged in a decades-long dispute over Iran's nuclear ambitions. On Wednesday night, Trump signed an order that would ban people from a dozen countries, including Iran, from entering the United States. It's set to go into effect on Monday. The ban makes exceptions for athletes, coaches and immediate relatives travelling for the World Cup, but doesn't mention fans. Given that the U.S. also is preparing to welcome the world for FIFA's Club World Cup later this month, golf's Ryder Cup in September and the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028, the question becomes: will the world want to come, or will they even be able to? 'Intended to raise the bar' Last month, Human Rights Watch wrote an open letter to FIFA's president, citing "grave concerns" about the impacts of the U.S.'s immigration policies on the 2026 World Cup. "Immediate action is needed to address policies that directly contradict FIFA's stated values of human rights, inclusion and global participation," the advocacy group wrote in the May 5 letter. "The 2026 World Cup was intended to raise the bar ... these commitments are now at serious risk." WATCH | Canadian describes 11 days in ICE custody: 'That place breaks you': Canadian woman describes 11 days in ICE custody 2 months ago Duration 1:56 The U.S. policies cited by the advocacy group include: reported travel restrictions and bans; visa practices that require applicants to disclose their sex assigned at birth and only recognize binary sex categories; the detainment of international students; the deportation of third-country nationals; and the blocking of refugees. Amnesty International, an international human rights NGO, has also voiced concerns for the players and fans travelling to the U.S. In a statement to CBC News, Steve Cockburn, Amnesty International's head of business and human rights, cited Trump's mass deportation program and "arbitrary arrests and detentions." He also noted that routine border crosses "have turned into harassment," especially for 2SLGBTQ+ people, religious minorities and people of colour. "It's hard to know who the Trump administration will target next," Cockburn said. "With no sign of the Trump administration's cruel treatment of immigrants and crackdown on freedom of expression slowing down, travellers may unfortunately find their human rights under threat while in the U.S." 'The unity of the three nations' Human Rights Watch also noted that when FIFA awarded the bid to the U.S., Canada and Mexico, the decision was celebrated as one that would unite positive change. At the time, in 2018, rifts created by tariffs and a proposed border wall were glossed over because of the neighbours' longstanding political and economic alliances. "The unity of the three nations" was the overriding theme articulated by Carlos Cordeiro, then-president of the U.S. Soccer Federation. And it was a smart decision at the time, said Setlur, not only for FIFA to grow its revenue, but because it was also an opportunity to elevate the sport of soccer in North America's very crowded sports market. And now, with Trump inciting trade wars with the U.S.'s neighbours and around the globe, combined with his aggressive immigration enforcement campaign? "At this point, would FIFA from a logistical standpoint wish this World Cup was in Europe? Probably," Setlur said. "But at this point they can't change it and they just have to hope they can lobby the U.S. government enough." WATCH | Canada, U.S., Mexico win joint bid (from 2018): Canada wins bid to co-host FIFA World Cup in 2026 7 years ago Duration 1:19 Joint bid with U.S. and Mexico beats Morocco in voting by FIFA member states Assurances that all are welcome Regardless of where it's held, the month-long World Cup is often considered the biggest sporting event in terms of its magnitude and global appeal. FIFA says 1.5 billion people tuned into the 2022 final match between Argentina and France live on television (the 2025 Super Bowl, by comparison, netted about 127. 7 million viewers). Alan Rothenberg, who ran the 1994 World Cup and oversaw the bid to host the 1999 Women's World Cup as then-president of U.S. Soccer, previously told The Associated Press that he thinks fans will still come to the FIFA World Cup. Pointing to concerns about the last two World Cups, in Russia in 2018 and Qatar in 2022, he noted those tournaments still attracted more than three million attendees apiece. "A lot of this is government-to-government," Rothenberg said. "A passionate soccer fan is not going to be held up by that." And as travel groups have raised concerns that wait times mean fans from some of the 48 nations set to compete will not be able to secure a U.S. visa before the FIFA tournament, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said the administration is considering putting consular officers on double shifts and employing artificial intelligence to help manage the processing. Meanwhile, U.S. Vice-President JD Vance has warned that visitors must "go home" after attending matches. "Otherwise, they'll have to talk to Secretary Noem," he said with a laugh as Trump smiled beside him, referring to Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, while speaking to media during the first World Cup task force meeting in early May. Setlur says he agrees die-hard fans will likely still come to the tournament despite the risks. But between the political deterrents and the economic cost of attending the match — not just ticket prices, but flying to North America and between the multiple host cities — he says he wonders if FIFA will be able to fill the stadium seats.
CTV News
5 hours ago
- CTV News
McDavid: Oilers' goalie Skinner ‘gave us a chance to win' Game 1 over Panthers
Florida Panthers' Eetu Luostarinen, left, is stopped by Edmonton Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner during the first period in Game 1 of the NHL Stanley Cup Final, in Edmonton, on Wednesday, June 4, 2025. Connor McDavid went straight to the point in summing up Stuart Skinner's performance in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup final. 'Great again,' the star captain of the Edmonton Oilers said after his team's 4-3 overtime win over the Florida Panthers to win the series-opening game. Call it nine games of greatness now, ever since Skinner returned to the net after Calvin Pickard was lost to injury two games into the Oilers' second-round playoff series with the Vegas Golden Knights. Pickard had replaced Skinner in the Oilers' net after the team's first two games of the playoffs, both high-scoring losses to the Los Angeles Kings. '(Skinner) gave us a chance to win,' McDavid told reporters of the starting goalie's performance Wednesday night before a loud Rogers Place crowd. 'That's all you ask of your goalie. He made some big saves there in the second and in overtime.' Oilers vs. Panthers Florida Panthers' Aleksander Barkov (16) and Edmonton Oilers' Evan Bouchard (2) battle in front as goalie Stuart Skinner (74) makes the save during the third period in Game 1 of the NHL Stanley Cup final in Edmonton, Wednesday, June 4, 2025. (JASON FRANSON/THE CANADIAN PRESS) They were big, all right. On the biggest stage of the hockey world. Against the same team Edmonton played in last year's Stanley Cup final and lost by a goal in the seventh and deciding game. While the Panthers took the lead on a first-period power play gifted to them courtesy a failed coach's challenge by Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch on their previous goal – then went up 3-1 on a clear, point-blank look by forward Sam Bennett on his team's eight shot of the game – Skinner held down the fort the rest of the way. Skinner said in the Oilers' dressing room after the game he simply thought of his performance as his job, which is – and you've heard it before – 'to give my team a chance to win.' 'That's what I've got to do,' Skinner said. 'It doesn't really matter how the last period goes, or how the last goal goes in, or the last great save I made, it's all about kind of what you do from there.' He withheld a barrage of Panthers shots the rest of the second period, turning aside 16 more to help allow the Oilers to claw their way back into the game. 'That's all you ask of your goalie. He made some big saves there in the second and in overtime.' — Connor McDavid 'I knew that they were going to have a push, especially in the second period, because you knew that we out shot them pretty good in the first,' Skinner said in the Oilers' dressing room. And with Edmonton coming on in the third period, turning the tables on Florida with a dominant 20 minutes to outshoot them 14-2 and tie the game with six minutes left in it, it set up one last-ditch effort by the Panthers when extra time began. Stuart Skinner Edmonton Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner stops Florida Panthers' Sam Reinhart (13) during the first overtime period in Game 1 of the NHL Stanley Cup Final, in Edmonton, on Wednesday, June 4, 2025. (DARRYL DYCK/THE CANADIAN PRESS) Florida poured on the shots, getting two on net and missing four – including a good chance by Sam Reinhart in close – inside the first minute spent entirely in Edmonton's end. But the Panthers grip on extra time evaporated a couple of minutes later and the Oilers came to life. Halfway through overtime, Edmonton grabbed the momentum, and although Florida managed four more shots, the Oilers won the quality chances battle, with Leon Draisaitl scoring the winner on the power play with 31 seconds left. 'The way that we were able to finish it in a timely manner is massive,' Skinner said. 'You saw that in our faces when we celebrated.'
Toronto Star
7 hours ago
- Toronto Star
Draisaitl nets OT winner, Oilers top Panthers 4-3 to take Game 1 of Stanley Cup final
EDMONTON - Leon Draisaitl capped a two-goal effort with the overtime winner to lift the Edmonton Oilers to a 4-3 comeback victory over the Florida Panthers in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup final on Wednesday. Connor McDavid picked up his second assist of the game chipping a pass in front to Draisaitl who scored a power-play goal with just 31 seconds remaining in extra time. Viktor Arvidsson and Mattias Ekholm also scored for the Oilers, who lost the first three games of last year's Cup final against Florida before storming back to force Game 7, where they suffered a narrow 2-1 loss. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Stuart Skinner made 29 stops in net for the win. Sam Bennett had a pair of goals and Brad Marchand also scored for the Panthers, who are playing in their third consecutive Stanley Cup final. Sergei Bobrovsky made 42 saves in the loss. Edmonton got off to a tremendous start with a goal just 66 seconds into the opening period. A big rebound from a Kasperi Kapanen shot came out to Draisaitl and he sent his eighth of the playoffs into a wide-open net. It was the fastest goal to start a Cup final in nearly 50 years. Draisaitl didn't score once in last year's final. Florida tied the game at 10:49 of the first period as a Carter Verhaeghe shot ticked off of a sprawling Bennett and past Skinner. The Oilers unsuccessfully challenged the goal, saying Bennett interfered with their goalie on the play, but a quick review went in Florida's favour. It proved costly, as the Panthers struck again just over a minute later on the ensuing power play, with Nate Schmidt making a nice feed to the side of the net to Marchand, who potted his fifth. Florida took a two-goal lead just two minutes into the second period as Schmidt made a nice feed to give Bennett a free lane to the net and he beat Skinner stick-side for his 12th of the playoffs. Bennett set a new franchise record for post-season goals and tying an NHL record for road goals in a playoffs with 11. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Edmonton responded just 1:17 later as Arvidsson sent a shot through traffic that ticked off Bobrovsky and in for his second. The Oilers tied the game up with 13:27 to play in the third period as McDavid sent it back to a pinching Ekholm who scored his first. Ekholm was playing in just his second game of the post-season after missing two months with injury, becoming the 20th Oiler with a goal in these playoffs. Edmonton outshot Florida 14-2 in the third period. It was the 19th Game 1 to go to overtime in Stanley Cup final history, with 14 of the 18 winners of those OT contests going on to win the series. NOTES It is just the second Cup final rematch in the past 40 years since Edmonton played the New York Islanders in 1983 and 1984, and first since Detroit and Pittsburgh played each other in 2008 and 2009. The team that lost the first half of the two previous rematches came back to win in the second meeting… Clubs that win Game 1 have gone on to win the Cup 76.5 per cent of the time (65-20), including all of the past four years. UP NEXT Game 2 takes place on Friday in Edmonton. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 4, 2025.
