ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - A Milwaukee Brewers turned Tampa Bay Rays fan is watching her dream World Series unfold, with her two teams playing in the historic matchup, although she's hopeful that the Rays can turn this series around.
Milwaukee native finds Rays fandom
Local perspective:
Fans across the Tampa Bay area are clinging to hope as the Rays enter a must-win game on Tuesday.
Chrisie Lopez grew up in Milwaukee, but eventually moved to the Tampa Bay area, and then to St. Pete in 2003. She was raised a Brewers fan, but adopted the Rays as her team too, after becoming a regular attendee at Tropicana Field.
Miller Park memories linger
The backstory:
Lopez spent her childhood at what was formerly known as Miller Park, before her family made the move to Florida.
"In Milwaukee, standing in line when we were kids for free burgers, the one time that they did something really good," she said. "I think it was like some winning streak."
Lopez says some of her family members would often get tickets to Rays games and give them to her.
"I would take my schooling and go study over while I was waiting for the game to start, and then I'd watch the game, and I'd go home, and it would just kind of flourish from there," she said.
As the Rays gained momentum and put themselves on the map in 2008 with their first World Series appearance, it solidified Lopez's love for the team.
"I remember being lucky enough to be there for them clinching and seeing Evan Longoria pound the mat on the side when we clinched one of the playoffs," Lopez said. "And then, I was there for when we won the 2008 ALCS."
Bonds forged under dome
What they're saying:
Lopez fell in love with the comradery among the fans and the team's dynamic.
"The power of friendship," she said. "It really feels like it is the powerful friendship. They like each other, they congratulate each other. The first one's out of the dugout to high five."
Lopez has never forgotten her roots, though. She wears a Rays jersey that she picked out several years ago, because it had the name, "Brewer" on the back.
St. Petersburg rallies behind team
What's next:
Back in April, a lot of people had already counted the Rays out for the 2026 season, after the team had a slow start.
"It gave a chip on the shoulder to the Rays organization, the players and coaching staff to go, 'This is what they think of us? Let's show them,'" Lopez said.
She cried as she watched the Rays clinch the ALCS, sending them to the franchise's third World Series. The moment was even sweeter, knowing the Rays would take on the Brewers.
"I don't know if you remember from the movie Big Daddy where he's playing cards with Adam Sandler, and he's like, 'You're changing the rules'," she said. "He's like, 'But I win'. That's what I feel like. I feel like I win."
Lopez wants the Commissioner's Trophy in St. Petersburg to lift spirits across a community dealing with neighborhood damage.
"It would be really awesome if, as St. Petersburg actually, and witnessing what happened to a lot of people's homes and living there, and we don't deserve anything, but it would be great to have this, especially before we leave Tropicana," Lopez said.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from an interview conducted with Rays fan Chrisie Lopez, who lives in St. Pete.