A picture of a couple outside of St. Louis’s Busch Stadium became a viral sensation last month when it was shared on Twitter. The images show a husband and wife wearing mis-matched jerseys, with a sweet message embroidered on the back. The husband wore a Cardinals shirt that read “Together, 19” and the wife wore a San Fransisco Giants jersey that read “Since, 52.”
The idea that love could conquer all—including allegiances to opposing baseball teams—struck a cord with people online, who quickly circulated the image with comments like #RelationshipGoals. But, the photo was taken of the couple from the rear, obscuring their faces and making them a bit of a mystery. Luckily, the St. Louis Post’s Benjamin Hochman got ahold of the couple and asked them how they felt about their newfound fame.
“I guess we sort of went viral,” said 87-year-old Carol Reckmeyer.
Warren Reckmeyer, 91, has loved the Cardinals since he was a child, and Carol has been a Giants fan since they were a New York team. The couple bonded over baseball when they first got together, and seem to have agreed to disagree about their team allegiances.
“Last year, [Warren] put up two signs in our front yard,” Carol told the Post, “He put up a Giants sign and a Cardinals sign. And when the Giants beat the Cardinals, he left my sign up and took the Cardinals sign down. It’s a give-and-take.”
The couple’s four children have picked sides over the years and their daughter Sarah, who is a die-hard Cardinals fan, was the one who got them the jerseys. She thought everyone’s fascination with her parents was pretty straightforward:
“I think people see that picture and see two people who have been together for a long, long time, they’re rooting for opposite teams, but they’re still loving each other, spending time together. … They’re older people, they’re using canes, but they’re still on the go, and they’re still living life fully.”
