For Brooke Steele and Gabriel Rodriguez, the Tampa Bay Rays have been part of the relationship long before the wedding date was set. Now the team is getting a place in the celebration itself.
The Thonotosassa couple is set to marry on November 13, and they’re building Rays flavor into the day in a few unmistakable ways. They’re planning custom “Mr.” and “Mrs.” jerseys, and they want ice cream served in the small baseball caps fans know from Tropicana Field.
Their connection to the team runs deep. Steele and Rodriguez have spent years making memories at the ballpark, including outings with their 8-year-old son and visits with the team’s mascots. That loyalty even reached into the family’s naming choices: their rescue puppy is named Baker, after Rays pitcher Bryan Baker.
They made sure the mascot was part of the moment, too. The couple hand-delivered a wedding invitation to Raymond, and he agreed to come.
Steele said the season’s ups and downs never shook her belief in the club.
"Though we lost some games this year, we haven't won every single series, there was never a moment where I had any doubt in my mind that this team was special," she said.
Rodriguez sees the Rays as something bigger than baseball, woven into the rhythm of family life. He and Steele rarely miss a game, and the Trop has become a familiar backdrop for their story.
The Rays’ American League Championship Series win hit especially hard because the couple was at Tropicana Field when Tampa Bay clinched its World Series berth. They called it one of the best days of their lives.
For Rodriguez, the ballpark itself carries a particular meaning. He has described the Trop as a place where he feels most at peace, which helps explain why the stadium has become such a central part of their shared memories.
His postseason excitement went a step further. Rodriguez said he got so wrapped up in the Rays taking the lead that he bought tickets to Game 5 of the World Series, scheduled for next Wednesday. The couple also hopes to get tickets to another game.
As the wedding approaches, the Rays are becoming part of another milestone for the couple, with the team’s presence threaded through both the ceremony and the months leading up to it.
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