The Rays are a very odd statistical team. I pointed out the Carlos Pena home run vs. singles oddity nearly two weeks ago. Just yesterday, Erik pointed out that Matt Garza and Jeff Niemann are on pace for a strange piece of history in the run support category. And now we have this little tidbit to snack on.
After grounding into his league leading 25thdouble play yesterday, Evan Longoria became the 41st player in Major League history with at least 25 home runs and 25 GIDP in the same season. Luckily for Longoria, he joined names like Harmon Killebrew, Mike Piazza, Frank Thomas, Jeff Bagwell, Albert Pujols, Vladimir Guerrero, and Cal Ripken Jr. amongst others. Overall, there have been 46 occurrences of this season including Longoria's; the most recent before Evan's was from Vlad Guerrero in 2008.
Longo is the first player to have 25 home runs and 25 GIDPs in the same season as a Rays player. However, he is not the first 25/25 man to have worn a Rays uniform. That would be Ben Grieve, who had 27 home runs and 32 GIDP as a member of the Oakland A's in 2000, the year before he joined the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
With more than 30 games and ~100-120 plate appearances left for Longoria, he is on pace for a 30 home run, 30 GIDP season. Like Pena, it's a weird way to go about obtaining a 30/30 season, but he does have a shot. If Longoria does get to this version "30/30" club, the membership becomes much more exclusive.
While 41 players including Longo have gone 25/25, only four players in Major League history have hit more than 30 home runs while grounding into more than 30 double plays in the same season. Strangely enough, this type of season occurred three times in 1983 when Boston Red Sox teammates Tony Armas and the super feared Jim Rice accomplished the feat along with AL East rival, Dave Winfield of the New York Yankees. The last time this type of 30/30 season happened was in 1999 by Ivan Rodriguez of the Texas Rangers. If Longo does actually "succeed" and gain entry to this club, he will also gain membership to the 30/30/30 club and join Rice as the only players in MLB history to hit 30+ home runs, 30+ doubles, and hit into 30+ double plays; Jayson Stark eat your heart out.