Today Tampa Bay Rays's rookie Evan Longoria, 23, received 28/28 first place votes for the rookie of the year award, earning him a perfect 140 pts. This unanimous decision pushed him past White Sox 2nd Baseman, Alexei Ramirez, and Red Sox Outfielder, Jacoby Ellsbury

Even though he missed 40 regular season games.

Obviously this is where, as a baseball player, I wanted to be," Longoria said. "But if I told you two years ago I'd be in this situation, I'd be lying. It's all been a dream come true. Like I said, as a kid, it's what you dream of happening."

Longoria is the seventh AL rookie to win the award by a unanimous vote and the first since 1997, when Nomar Garciaparra completed the feat. The others were Derek Jeter, Tim Salmon, Sandy Alomar Jr., Carlton Fisk and Mark McGwire.

With his abilities, he helped thrust the team that was last in their division in 2007 to the top spot in 2008. They did not stop there, they went to the world series where the faced the Philadelphia Phillies in a crushing 1-4 series loss. But the team is young and they can use their almost-cinderella season as a way to inspire baseball players of all ages.