TLD's Guide to Secondary Postseason Teams

Let's assume for a moment that the worst happens and the Red Sox do not make the playoffs. What are we at Over the Monster to do? Ignoring baseball altogether until the offseason is an attractive option, after all, there are some intriguing storylines going on in the NFL right now, especially in the NFC North and AFC East. But, should we all decide to suck it up and watch the MLB playoffs, who should we, as Red Sox fans, support?

1. Detroit Tigers- Detroit is an exciting team boasting the best pitcher in the American League, possibly the entire MLB, one of the best hitters in the league, Miguel Cabrera, and former Red Sock and Fan Favorite Victor Martinez. Detroit gets my vote as secondary team for a few reasons. First off, I love watching Justin Verlander pitch more than any other pitcher in the league, yes, even more than the 4 decent pitchers the Sox have on their staff. Next, the catching tandem between Victor and Avila has been the best in the league, and it's awesome to see a player succeed (Avila) after everyone wrote him off as just another callup. Third, the Tigers have a chip on their shoulder after making the World Series in 2006, being bounced out by the Cards, and then suffering five years of being "Not as good as the Twins." Let's go Detroit.

 

2.  Milwaukee Brewers- The little midwestern engine that could actually did. Zack Greinke, Yovani Gallardo, and Shaun Marcum make up one of the better rotations in the National League. With superstars Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder surrounded by talented bats like Corey Hart and Casey McGehee, the Brewers have an offensive lineup that outclasses the other National League teams, unless the Cardinals manage to squeak past the Braves. The only knock on the Brewers is Prince Fielder's attitude, which turns me off to them as a baseball fan.

 

3. Arizona Diamondbacks- Who doesn't like seeing former Yankees do well? Ian Kennedy and Daniel Hudson were brought in in trades the last couple years, and Kevin Towers could not be happier. The Dbacks are third on the list for being a young team that is a lot of fun to watch. The Arizona fanbase is pretty cool to talk with as well. Being an NL West team, it's hard to imagine them going far in October, but as the Giants showed last year, being good doesn't matter, you just have to get hot at the right time.

 

4. Atlanta Braves/St Louis Cardinals- These teams fall here on this list mostly because they're not any of the teams below this. I would like to see (Chipper Jones/Lance Berkman select whichever applies) have a shot at a ring, but really, there's not much to say here.

 

5. Texas Rangers- In my eyes the Rangers have two things going for them in the AL West. They're not the Angels, and they have Adrian Beltre, who was a lot of fun when he was in Boston. Other than that, they're a pretty unlikable team, but that may be because they kicked our collective asses all year.

 

6. Philadelphia Phillies- I'm going to go on record as saying that if the World Series comes down to the Phillies and the two teams below, I will be watching football. The Phillies are the single most unlikable team in the National League, from their stupid "four aces" to their misguided Ryan Howard deal, to Chase Fucking Utley, they are top to bottom just unlikable. Pick one of the above teams to support.

 

7. Tampa Bay Rays- Honestly, the Rays should be higher on this list, they do almost everything right, and they are a good young team. What ruins the Rays is the attitude of their players and the douchiness of their fans. They are the adopted redheaded stepson of the league, and should be pushed back under the rug where nobody notices them. Here's hoping the team gets moved out west, I've always wanted an MLB team in Portland.

 

8. New York Yankees- You're kidding right? If you're looking for a quick way out of Red Sox fandom this is the way to go. Where the Philadelphia Phillies were simply unlikable, the Yankees are just downright ugly. They're also fat, so there.