Rookie 3B Evan Longoria's All-Star experience just got even more exciting as he was selected to participate in Monday night's home run derby.

"They just called me and I guess they needed another guy apparently, but they wanted me to do it because of the amount of fan votes that I got,'' Longoria said. "I guess I'm pretty popular with the fans so they wanted me to get in there and show what I can do.''

According to mlb.com, the field includes former Rays prospect and current Texas star Josh Hamilton, Cleveland's Grady Sizemore, Houston's Lance Berkman, Philadelphia's Chase Utley, Florida's Dan Uggla and Milwaukee's Ryan Braun.

Longoria said he doesn't have much experience, or expectations, for the derby. "I'm just going to try to hit one out, to be honest with you. I don't want to get donuted,'' he said. "I'm just going to go out there and try to enjoy it as much as I can and not worry about the results.''

Some players bring their own derby pitcher, but Longoria said he would pick someone there. "I', not a very good batting practice hitter as it is, so maybe somebody I haven't seen before will help me out,'' he said.

Manager Joe Maddon said he had some concern that Longoria would stray from his normal habits of hitting the ball up the middle by changing his swing to pull too many pitches.

"It's an honor that they would ask him obviously, and I'm sure he's going to have a good time with it,'' Maddon said. "My bigger concern is always what happens post-that. There's a lot of energy involved mentally and also physically, whereas I would not want him to get out of his swing.

"Hit home runs to right-center and rightfield there also would be kind of fun to watch as opposed to just trying to pull everything, because he pretty much stays in the middle of the field. I don't think necessarily winning it is so important as much as just being invited and then just going it about it the right way. ... You watch him in BP he doesn't spin on everything here so I'd like to think that he's gonna take the same thing and just try to drive the ball to the middle of the field. ... I'd like to see him do it, and do it with an intelligence about it, too.''

No worries, Longoria said: "Little does he know that we play home run derby here at 5 o'clock every day (in batting practice.)''

Longoria, 22, will be the first Ray to participate in that popular and nationally televised event.