How to you go from only potential to postseason hero in a few months?

First, gun a ton of homers after signing a multi-year rookie contract worth tens of millions. Then, hit two homers with the first three pitches you see in the postseason, and advance the Tampa Bay Rays to the ALCS in their first postseason run.

That, my friends, is the storybook season of Evan Longoria, who with his bat has quelled all those “Eva” jokes once and for all.

Collectors on eBay are not laughing one bit, shelling out up to $1,000 for key rookies, let alone my high-graded 2006 Bowman Chrome Auto Refractors in Gem grades, which close from $500-$1,000 depending on whether they’re Blue, Gold or Orange, and if they’re graded Mint, Gem or Pristine. Some Tristar, Bowman Sterling and Triple Threads issues are sprinkled in there, but primarily winning bidders are locking in on the Chrome stuff.

Longoria might be the second coming of the pride of the Ohio University Bobcats, Michael Jack Schmidt. Who knows? Some collectors are banking on it. Certainly most baseball fans would agree, the future’s pretty bright for this Ray’s overnight success.