The Pirates didn't make the playoffs. Dangit.
This is nothing new for me. The Pirates have not been in the playoffs since I was two years old, so the only kind of October I know is one where the Pirates don't play baseball.
Because of that, I have begun a trend of picking a new team to root for every postseason. Recently, that team has been the Tampa Bay Rays. Less recently, I have rooted for the Houston Astros, the Florida Marlins, and the Arizona Diamondbacks. I like the small market teams, what can I say?
This year, I have a big time favorite in both leagues. Both of them are mentioned above. The Rays and the Diamondbacks are my teams this year. I have been a fan of these teams for the last handful of years, so I don't feel terrible about sorta-kinda jumping on the bandwagon.
One of the biggest reasons I really like these two teams is the Upton brothers. My fantasy baseball team name a few years ago was "Third Upton Brother", which is stupid and senseless, but relevant nonetheless.
I have always had a fascination with siblings reaching the highest level of competition in their given sport, and these two have been near the top of the list of my favorite players since they broke into the league. There is just something about fast outfielders with power that gets to me.
Unfortunately, B.J. never really reached his potential. He was the number one overall prospect in baseball at one point, but hasn't been much more than a very inconsistent bat with some power. His defense and speed has kept him in the starting lineup, but he hasn't been what the Rays expected. You cannot say the same for Justin however, he is quickly turning into one of the games best hitters and all-around players. This postseason could be his coming out party, even though I think any somewhat serious baseball fan fully knows who this guy is already.
I'll be writing about these two teams extensively this postseason, so if you are with me on the bandwagons, check back and read. Let's go Upton.
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