Former Long Beach State first round pick and current Tampa Bay rookie, Evan Longoria, and former UC Santa Barbara star Michael Young, the starting shortstop for the Texas Rangers, represented the American League in the 2008 Major League Baseball All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium on July 15, 2008. This was Longoria's first all-star game, while Young made his fifth straight appearance in the Mid-Summer Classic.

Both players proved they belonged among the elite by producing clutch hits late in the game. Longoria blasted a game-tying ground-rule double in the eighth inning, knotting the score at 3-3 and eventually sending it into extra innings. Hours later, Young became the American League's hero after delivering a 15-inning sacrifice fly that sent Justin Morneau home for the game-winning run. The 4-3 victory in the longest all-star game in history extended the American League’s win streak to 12.

Longoria, who played the 2005 and 2006 seasons at LBSU, became the 31st former 49er to make the Major Leagues, doing so in April. Since then, he has batted .281 with 16 home runs and 53 RBIs for the AL East Leading Rays. He was also named the AL Rookie of the Month (June).

Young, who played for the Gauchos from 1995-1997, is currently batting .302 with 23 doubles, two triples, seven home runs, 49 RBI, and 61 runs scored. He also has 114 hits which ranks him fifth in the American League. The native of Covina, Calif., has collected 200 or more hits in each of the last five seasons, equaling Ichiro Suzuki and Wade Boggs for the longest such streak since 1940. Young is the second middle infielder in Major League Baseball history to accomplish the feat, joining Hall of Famer Charlie Gehringer. In 2005, he won the American League batting title with an average of .331.