Power couples and baseball diamonds
The end of the 2017 World Series wasn’t just an opportunity for Houstonians to revel in all things orange and blue. It was a time to find out everything we can about our two new power couples: newlyweds Justin Verlander and Kate Upton, who got married three days after the big win, and Carlos Correa and Daniella Rodriguez, who got engaged within seconds of the game, when the shortstop dropped to one knee and popped the question.
Verlander arrived in Houston just in time to qualify to participate in post-season play, mesmerizing Astros fans with his stellar pitching in the American League championship as well as the World Series. Already engaged, the six-time All-Star brought with him his fiancee, Upton, a threetime Sports Illustrated cover girl.
The couple quickly departed for their Italian wedding, having to miss the Nov. 2 parade because of their Nov. 3 nuptials.
So it’s the future Correa-Rodriguez that has everyone buzzing since the entire country watched his proposal and her enthusiastic response. Never mind that everyone’s talking about the diamond in her engagement ring, clearly the size of a doorknob.
Here’s what we know about the two couples: Baseball and romance: Verlander proposed to Upton just before the start of the 2016 MLB season. Correa proposed to Rodriguez at the end of the 2017 season — amid the revelry of the Astros’ World Series win.
Will she say yes? When Correa got down on one knee to propose, Rodriguez gave him a big smooch and a “yes.” Not so before the VerlanderUpton nuptials. Sportswriter Larry Brown noted back in 2015 that Verlander’s repeated proposals to Upton were strikeouts until she finally said “yes” in 2016. The crowd: Verlander and Upton were engaged for several months before she revealed her stunning ring at the Met Gala in 2016. Correa did it all on national TV, putting a gigantic ring on Rodriguez’s finger on camera.
Love at first sight? Correa and Rodriguez reportedly met when she was Miss Texas USA and threw out the ceremonial first pitch at an Astros game in 2016. Her toss was a flop, but she apparently caught the attention — and the heart — of Correa. Verlander posted a clue to his introduction to Upton on his Instagram account in a photo of him and Upton posing with two other major-league players.
The rings: Though full details of Rodriguez’s ring aren’t out, it’s described as a pear-shaped diamond ring with a diamond halo and a split shank. Upton’s sparkler is a round solitaire inside “swags” of pave diamonds, all on a diamond-studded band. When it comes to diamond rings, bigger is always better.
Top in their jobs: Verlander was the 2006 AL Rookie of the Year; Correa earned that honor in 2015. Upton was named Model of the Year in 2013 at the 10th annual Style Awards at the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York. And Rodriquez was named Miss Texas USA in 2016.
Actresses: Upton got her start as a model and gained national attention as a three-time Sports Illustrated cover girl and later had a role in the 2014 feature film comedy “The Other Woman.” Rodriguez noted in her 2016 pageant information that her dream job would be to be an actress.
Twentysomethings: Upton and
Rodriguez are still in their 20s. Upton is 25, and Rodriguez is 21.
Little-known fact: Though Upton went to high school in Florida, she was born in St. Joseph, Mich., into the family that founded Whirlpool Corp. Her great-grandfather was Frederick Upton, the company’s co-founder.
All-Stars: Verlander is a six-time All-Star; Correa was an All-Star in 2017.
Picks: Correa (by the Astros) was the first overall pick in the 2012 draft; Verlander was the No. 2 pick (by the Detroit Tigers) in 2004.
Charity work: Correa has been donating mattresses and bedding to children through the Restless for the Cause effort to help the Houston Children’s Charity at the start of school in the fall of 2016. After Hurricane Harvey flooded many homes and left thousands with no place to sleep, he again donated 500 new mattresses, frames and bedding to children. Verlander started the Wins for Warriors Foundation for veterans of the U.S. military and has donated more than $2 million to the cause.