It was a good series. Claws, antlers and squirrels…that’s all you need, really. Beards that make Brian Wilson and anyone in a Stanley Cup final blush. Heroes that rose to the occasion – David Freese and Mike Napoli – that made this Series engaging and worth watching.

This was the Series we’ve been waiting for. The Cards were written off in August, citing the pre-season drama with Albert Pujols. The Rangers weren’t even given a chance especially with an 800-pound gorilla named the New York Yankees. Then, what…the postseason yielded some surprises as welcomed as the end of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

Sadly, there were letdowns. These are the same letdowns that caused me to no longer write on this subject, such as enduring Joe Buck and Tim McCarver for yet another FOX broadcast. Perhaps that’s the biggest thing about this Series.

Now what? On Halloween, Tony LaRussa retired as the Cards’ manager. Then, Theo Epstein canned Mike Quade as the Chicago Cubs’ manager. All of the sudden, we have a few managerial vacancies to fill. Names such as Ryne Sandberg and Terry Franconia have popped up in places we never thought possible.

Then, there are the awards. I’m half-heartedly following them – with hopes of a Matt Kemp NL MVP and a Clayton Kershaw of the NL’s Cy Young Award winner. In all, my time with baseball is pretty much complete. The Free Agency market may look lucrative with some big names coming through for the taking. Who really has the money to pay these guys? Not Frank McCourt. Oh, and let’s not forget the upcoming Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations and the insipid proposals over realignment and postseason formatting.

Meanwhile, in the wake of a disappointing Minnesota Twins season, two champions emerge from this region: The Minnesota Lynx (WNBA Champions) and the NSC Minnesota Stars (NASL Soccer Cup Champions). Oddly enough, the Twins bought 500 tickets to the home opener of the NASL Championship Series at the National Sports Center in Blaine – the home pitch of the Stars. Odd, indeed…

As the certainty in my life changes yet again, I can only hope that 2012 yields some clarity in the game. This game – at least Major League Baseball – has challenged my patience multifold. Maybe someday I will embrace this with open arms. But, I’m OK now.

Stay in touch, dear MLBlog friends. I’m not far away from the action…

I hate obligation.

Jeff from Red State Blue State got his wish, however. His St. Louis Cardinals shocked a lot of people by removing the Milwaukee Brewers out of the postseason equation on enemy ground. The acrimony was running high dating back to the Tweet-off between Albert (As God-like, without the help of Bishop T.D. Jakes) Pujols and Nyjer (Tony Bitch-ass Plushie Kevin Hart wannabe Mark) Morgan. To take the advantage at Busch Stadium into Miller Park, the Cards had to play defense on the Brewers bats.

Success? Absolutely! Now what?

The Texas Rangers return to the Fall Classic for the second year in a row. The Metroplex is a bit more prepared for their second Series, as was the first go-round. They did so by stepping up at the right moments. Dispatching the Detroit Tigers was not as monumental a task as everyone thought, however. Though, I heard it from my colleagues in the automotive industry how disappointed they were that their team simply faltered in the face of the experienced Rangers. There is confidence in the air just south of DFW Airport, except they had not designed a starter for Game 1 in St. Louis.

Is that what you call “prepared?”

Who to pick here…this is a problem. I should care, but I don’t have a horse in the race.

In fact, all of my horses had been slaughtered, ground up and sent to packinghouses for burgers and franks.

The experience of The Heirloom‘s end sent me elsewhere. After the disappointment of the St. Paul Saints losing to the Grand Prairie Air Hogs in the American Association Championship Series, a glimmer of hope arrived in the least likely place in the Twin Cities – Target Center. The Twins and Vikings were worthless pieces of dung in the eyes of the press and disappointed fans. Yet, nine women made us shine – the Lynx.

Incidentally, the Lynx won the WNBA Championship. Women had to do the job of men. Lesbian season ticket holders (and Lavender magazine) took the place of purple-painted faux norsemen or young, drunk and stupid Target Field douchebags in leading the charge towards providing pride in this town.

Yet, another glimmer of hope occurred this weekend. The NSC Minnesota Stars shocked the Carolina RailHawks to advance to the NASL Finals.

A side note: The Twins purchased 500 General Admission tickets to this Saturday’s NASL Finals game at the National Sports Center in Blaine, MN between the Stars and the Ft. Lauderdale Strikers. What are they doing with these tickets is beyond my comprehension. I hope Dave St. Peter have 500 friends to party with along with the Dark Clouds…do y’all have enough free beer for the Twins?

The World Series? Good luck to the Cards and the Rangers in the Fall Classic. Then, give the NL MVP to Matt Kemp…consider Clayton Kershaw for the NL Cy Young…get the new Collective Bargaining Agreement done…screw the plan to fuck with the league and postseason structure…give us a replacement for Bud Selig that will bring baseball into the 21st Century…and end the agony of watching FOX as the primary baseball broadcast network!

If not, we’re gonna #OccupyTheCommissionersOffice!

That’s all I have to say…

If last night proved one thing about this game: When it gets this great, it can be never disappoint you.

All of the things I’ve said about Commissioner Bed Selig, umpires such as Joe West, personalities such as Ozzie Guillen can be set aside for a few hours of real drama. To me, those gentlemen have the same amount of bullshit space as the cast of “Jersey Shore.”

There were six games of interest last night that made the entire season worth even given a 15-minute overview.

NEW YORK (AL) at TAMPA BAY: Have we not learned from 2008? Of course not! You throw the Rays against the wall, they’ll scratch back. They might even shock the hell out of you. The Yanks leaped into a 7-0 lead until the Rays crawled back into life. They tied it in the ninth on Dan Johnson’s homer.

Who in the hell is Dan Johnson? Where’s Carlos Pena? Oh, he’s on the Cubs…nevermind…

In the 12th, Evan Longoria retained his matinee hero status by his walk-off. That may be more icing than cake. If you were inside the Trop, you had every reason to celebrate by pissing off every Yankee and Red Sox fan for another year in a row.

The Rays won’t go away. They’re dangerous. They bite. But, what would be different this time now that they drew the Texas Rangers again in the ALDS? Remember last year’s choke that opened the door for a maiden Series for the Claw-and-Antler gang? If you’re a Rays’ fan – pray hard. Very hard!

ST. LOUIS at HOUSTON: If you were like me, you left the Cards for dead. The melodrama with Albert Pujols and other summary opera scenes in The Lou had to be put to the side for a shot at redemption.

The Redbirds did not disappoint. They relied on the dominant paradigm of the Phils to take care of half the job. The Cards had to take care of their side of the bargain. They did so by making mincemeat of the Astros.

Resounding victories never resolve lingering issues. It is just therapy – a way to get it all out in the open. Considering the entire season at Busch Stadium, this was exactly their primal scream. They let it all out – on display for the Houston crowd to witness. Did they feel any better? Ask them after the NLDS against the Phillies…

BOSTON at BALTIMORE: My biggest disappointment of the night. As a Red Sox fan, you hated to see these pesky Orioles pull the rug under the feet of a team that was picked to win the AL. But, they did. A rain delay didn’t help matters. Nor did the fielding of Adam Jones, J.J. Hardy and Matt Wieters. The bat of Carl Crawford could have sent the Sox back into the Postseason against the Rangers. Marco Scutaro was in the way of the pesky Orioles. The Sox were done at that point.

The O’s took advantage of the relay by taking a 3-2 deficit before the rain stopped play into a 4-3 shocker. The Sox’s door was slammed shut even as cowbells were ringing for hope in St. Petersburg.

No one should fault the Red Sox for choking at the end. Why? The Minnesota Vikings have Donovan McNabb now. I should be used to disappointment. In fact, I’m immune from feeling that way. Whether they’re wearing a big B on the cap or in purple under a new Teflon roof, they drink the same bitter soda.

PHILADELPHIA at ATLANTA: Once was a time when the Bravos were invincible. As much as they tried, it was for naught. If you want the biggest chokers of the evening – try the Braves.

In thirteen innings, the Braves waited for their chance at the postseason. Instead, they were on fumes. The Phils ended the Bravos’ 11-20 slide with Hunter Pence’s RBI hit.

The pain is over, Atlanta. Besides, there’s no more hockey for you. You pissed away the Thrashers to Winnipeg – just like the Braves pissed away their 2011 campaign. Feel any better now?

KANSAS CITY at MINNESOTA: Why should we be happy that the Twins avoided losing their 100th game of the season?

LOS ANGELES (NL) at ARIZONA: Want to spoil a party? Want to put sugar in the D-back’s tank en route to their meeting with the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLDS? Want to campaign for Matt Kemp as the NL’s MVP? The Dodgers ended their 2011 season by doing all of the above.

The Dodgers had a 5-0 run going into until the D-Backs started catching up. In the end, the Dodgers took care of business. They sent the D-Back onward to Milwaukee wondering how they could match up with Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun in their NLDS match-up.

For the Dodgers, the season may be over, but mid-November await for Kemp and Clayton Kershaw. But, hey, they did make a darn good “It Gets Better” video…

THE LAST SHOUT: This is it: The honest-to-God final post.

On Monday, I thought I was done. But, the regular season got more intriguing. It ended as I went to sleep. There I was – chatting about on road racing and Buick’s triumph in the Silver State Classic road race, along with how to save Lincoln (or, per my suggestion, dropping the brand altogether), but my Facebook and Twitter wouldn’t shut up. It was as I was telling the Braves to die already…or screaming at the Red Sox to pull this one out.

The game has a way to still grab your attention.

It’s been a pleasure, folks! I will now sign off for good. There’s more I can say – but I need to keep it under my hat for a bit more time.

For now…THE END.

There is a feeling is adrenalin that you sometimes get in baseball. It’s a tight game, your team is behind by a few runs and your best batter is yet to come up. You’re on your feet with every pitch, as are 15,000…20,000…30,000…or more of us. Then, the bases are loaded…

Now, let’s switch to a Chevrolet Camaro SS convertible. Want to talk adrenalin? Try this. Drive a bit on a street with a 30MPH speed limit until you get to an entrance to a freeway. Then, you press the throttle down with your right foot. All of the sudden, there’s 420 pound-feet of torque from 6.2litres of V8 power at your disposal. As soon as you launch this beast up the ramp, your heart stops. It’s a millisecond long, but you feel it. You’re still breathing. You’re still in the car. You’re still driving. You reached freeways speed at a time so quick you hadn’t thought about the game tickets inside the center binnacle.

And, no one crapped in their pants.

With two outs in the bottom of the ninth, the first pitch from one of the toughest relievers in the game was a strike. It was a pretty good call by the Home Plate ump. Then again, he wasn’t Angel Hernandez, Joe West or Hunter Wendlestedt. This came from one of the better umps in the bigs.

We’re still standing. We do not want to be disappointed because we know he’s a clutch batter. He’s been the walk-off guy for us all season long. What could possibly go wrong?

“Thunk.”

That was the sound of a Bridgestone Potenza tire that lost to a huge pothole in South Minneapolis. It was also the sound of a front driver’s side rim meeting the crappy tarmac on the same street. One thought…maybe it’s a run flat? Further inspection of the trunk of a Lexus IS250 C shows otherwise. A donut. An annoying Tire Pressure System light remains for several miles after a phone call with the press fleet manager to get that lovely coupe-convertible to the nearest Lexus dealer for a tire swap.

Ah, the life of an automotive journalist is never boring…

After recovering from a brush-back, Mr. Clutch is back in the box. The star reliever sets, winds-up…and the pitch. There is contact with the bat. There is trajectory of the ball. It looks good from where I sit. Everyone’s breath is collectively on hold. The ball just keeps on going…and going…

Do you know what heaven is like?

The special thing about the Cadillac CTS-V sedan that I drove recently: It’s not the fact it has 556 supercharged V8 horses under the hood. It’s about how it is delivered. You’re riding along at 30MPH…so smooth and lithe. Then, you put the foot down. It was easy. It was quick. You did not feel a thing. You went from a calm, serene world to the realm of the Gods. You have enough power to race a Ferrari 458 Italia, Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG or a new BMW M5 on any given piece of tarmac.

It is like a walk-off home run. There is no sense of time continuum. The lift off was not even felt. As you round the bases, you feel nothing. Then, you round third, headed to home. You see the multitude of players around the plate. The fans…regardless of the paid attendance…are on their feet cheering. No one’s left the ballpark.

Then, some idiot commentator goes ahead and makes a dumb quip on air. I won’t say if its Hawk Harrelson, Ed Farmer, Darrin Jackson, Mike Shannon, Tom Gordon, John Sterling or Mark Grace who said it. It’s just plain infuriating. Perhaps said comment would be left to another MLBlogger, journalist or a caller into a postgame show to chew on and spit onward.

Luckily, the Cadillac has a multitude of preset buttons loaded with XM Radio channels at my fingertips. I can easily change the channel. Maybe I’ll switch to BPM…

Adrenalin. Euphoria. Passion. Words that I hoped I conveyed in some of my work in The Heirloom. Adding emotion to a piece, whether it is about this game or any other subject matter, makes for good story telling.

I always strive to try my best to tell a good story. I’m glad you enjoyed that aspect of this work. Now, I encourage you all to elevate your stories to the next level. That way, the void I leave here will be filled by your chosen words. Your way to express your feelings about the game of baseball.

I enjoyed reading your work as much as you enjoyed reading mine. We convey the same passion for the game, but expressed in many different ways. Go forth and accomplish a higher plane of blogging. Make a new connection with an established MLBlogger – Pro, Beat Writer or another Fan. Take this to the next level.

How does it feel to elevate your game? It is hitting that curve’s apex perfectly. No yaw, no lack of grip and no chassis flex…just the right moves and sounds. And, there’s no resistance from man or machine.

My friend, Fred from Wisconsin, tweeted me on Sunday to “keep baseball alive on the current blog, if you can.” I will try. Besides, a lot of us automotive folks are sports folks, too!

With this, is my coda…my last walk down the concourse out into the exits. I hope to see you outside of this forum. Whether it is the SABR convention next year in Minneapolis, the Twins-Cubs series, working media at the Chicago Auto Show or somewhere else down the line, I hope we can reconnect.

My love for baseball is not dead. It will be there. It will continue to live on.

The Heirloom is Dead. Long Live The Heirloom!

-30-

TO THE GAME ITSELF:
Mark Newman (MLB Advanced Media/MLBlogopshere)
Sean Aronson, Adam Lowler, Annie Huidekoper, George Tsamis and the rest of the St. Paul Saints organization
Jesse Leeds-Grant of the Goldklang Group
Jerry Remy (NESN/Boston Red Sox)
The Eau Claire Express organization
The St. Cloud RiverBats organization
The Minnesota Twins organization
The New York Yankees organization
The Chicago White Sox organization
The Chicago Cubs organization
The Iowa Cubs organization
The Los Angeles Dodgers organization.

TO MY FELLOW MLBLOGGERS:
Emma Amaya and Lorena (CrzBlue’s Dodger Blue World)
Michael Lecolant (Brooklyn Trolley Blogger)
Jeffrey Lung, Allen Krause, Johanna Mahmoud, Pie, et al (Red State Blue State)
Steve Helsing (World Series 41, Rangers Fan 1)
Jane Heller, (Confessions of a She-Fan)
Catherine (The Wizard of Ozzie)
Amy (Jobu’s Tepee)
Ron (Strictly Cubs baseball)
Mike B (Minoring in Baseball)
Peter (Phillies Outside)
Matt (Pittsburgh Peas)
Kristen (This is a Very Simple Game)
Russel (Wrigley Regular)
Keleigh
Aaron (Wahoo Baseball)
Jon (Invariably Baseball)
Jenn (Phillies Phollowers)
Michael (ThomasSox)
RaysFanBoy
MacBurns1
Zach (zkonedog)
WestCoastGirl
Stephen M (Three Hands Down)
Behind Blue Eyes
Kristy R (Kristy Loves Her Buccos)
Mimi
Fenway Bleacher Creature
Matt (South Side Story)
Sue (Rants Raves and Random Thoughts)
Greg (Baseball Fix)
Ez-Mac71
Cat Loves The Dodgers
DTiggers
Bronx Awesome
Ted (Tribe With Ted)
Erin (Plunking Gomez)
Holly (Irish Sox Kid)
BuzBlog
Julie (Julie’s Rants)
Matt Tang
Tribe Chick
OrangeBirds
Eat Sleep MLB
Twins Review
Ashley Marshall
The Baseball Collector
Jeremy (Homer, Food and History)

TO MY COMMUNITY:
Barry Leavitt (Lavender Magazine)
Rick P, Eric B (Minneapolis Movie Bears)
Kevin B, Chris G, Bryan V (North Country Bears)
The Twin Cities Goodtime Softball League
Pete Olsen (Wide Rights)
Dave Pallone

TO MY FRIENDS:
Twin Cities: Scott Schumacher and Michael Larson, KJ, Deano and Logan, Chris C, Scott Salmins, Todd Anderson, Bill Weihrauch and Greg Freeman, Kevin Vales, Jake Carson, Steve Pilz
Chicago: Chris Leon, Carlos De Leon
Sconnie: Jason Palmer, Fred Vaughn
DC: Erich Yahner
Los Angeles: Eric Montgomery, The Lapiner family, Gary Carter
Grand Forks: Chester B
Monterey: Sue Taylor
Portland OR: Lisa Orcutt-Kane
Las Vegas: Arte H
San Francisco: Bill Duncan
Seattle-Tacoma: Gary James

To my brother, Matthew Stern, and his family.

Lastly, to the memory of my mother…thank you!

It’s been real. If you’re interested in what I have to say, you can follow me on Twitter @VictoryReseda. There may be a compilation of this stuff forthcoming. I’ll post that somewhere in the social media universe.

This year, homosexuality was tossed around in the media, the political arena and in the sports field like a hot potato smothered spiked with E. coli. From ESPN staffers to small-time bloggers sports bloggers were in the middle of another culture war between the so-called Tea Party and some of the rest of us.

We brave souls – ranging from Queers4Gears’ Michael Myers to LZ Granderson over at ESPN – have stretched the rainbow boundary into the realm of masculinity while holding our own on our own front. Even Wide Rights’ Pete Olson and former umpire Dave Pallone were in the midst of the firefight for culture, community and our love of sports.

Then, there was me: A baseball blogger, who refuses to be fabulous, cannot stand Glee and Lady Gaga…and has emerged unscathed from any hatred by anyone.

(For the record, I love Absolutely Fabulous! Ehem…anyway…)

The only hate I got was from fans of certain teams whom are rivals. Thankfully, no expletives were used in the throes of these feeble diatribes from the haters.

The journey of The Heirloom was fabulous in its own way. No glitter – just honest baseball. No A-List New York or Muscle Bear attitude. I kept that crap clear from the eyes of many who read this – um, you!

Then again, I don’t subscribe to that bullshit!

During these four seasons, I was glad to experience the bridging of these two worlds together – of sports and homosexuality. It turned out just fine. To my surprise, I found acceptance from you as an equal. That eased a lot of tension I had in doing this work. It also inspired me to do a few things with it.

Two of them came in an annual event put on by Lavender Magazine, Out in The Stands. I attended the ones in 2009 (in the Metrodome) and 2010 (at Target Field). It was great to be a part of a “gay day at the ballpark” event and reinforced my kinship with friends who shared the experience along with me.

I never mentioned the event specifically in the the first one. I will admit that I enjoyed that one more than the other. The reason was the number of friends from the Bear groups that were in that section we were sitting and the mellowness of the group from the pre-game “tailgate” at the Aloft hotel near the ballpark through the end of the game.

The year after was marked by a growing increase in ticket demand. Understand that the first year at Target Field was impacted by high capacity games, getting about 400-500 people together was a challenge that was met. Being outside was fine, but – boy, was it hot! Some of us hung out in the concourses to see the game away from our seats. There wasn’t the vibe that was there the year before.

As for this year – a scheduling conflict prevented me from attending. I never heard anything about it, except for the photos in Lavender.

Perhaps the one thing that kept The Heirloom going were my friends – both gay and straight. I am fortunate to have a group of friends who are into most of the things I am – baseball, included. A few of them were willing participants in various games at Target Field, the Metrodome, Midway Stadium (St. Paul Saints) and Miller Park (Milwaukee Brewers). During the time of The Heirloom, my friends saw the passion I had for the game – the same one my mother passed onto her sons. I was glad they did. They inspired me to reach for another level with this blog.

My regret? There shouldn’t be one. So what if The Advocate didn’t pick up on this blog? So what if the Star Tribune or Pioneer Press…and so forth! This blog was not a competition on which homosexual would be the pink beacon for the game of baseball. This was not a beauty contest on which gay man would be the diva of the game.

No, The Heirloom was done without flying the rainbow flag and marching in front of some bloody parade in June. Nor did it raise the ire of Michele Bachmann, Rick Santorum and their ilk.

That is a hell of an accomplishment to be proud of.

I’m not a movie person. Nor do I like attending the big screen to watch them. I leave that for everyone else to do.

I do know movie critics. My friends Alonso Duralde (The Wrap), Dave White (Movies.com) and Chris Hewitt (St. Paul Pioneer Press) are the ones I go to, if on the oft chance of wanting to watch a film. Their opinions, sometimes divergent amongst the three, are taken under strong consideration.

Now that the story of how Billy Beane made a mockery of the scouting and player selection process – in turn giving the Oakland A’s a fighting chance a few years ago – has been made into a movie (based on the book of the same title), it is our chance to view whether Brad Pitt can play one of the most controversial general managers of our game.

If you’re curious how the film press views “Moneyball,” check these reviews out…
Alonso Duralde – The Wrap
Dave White – Movies.com
Chris Hewitt – St. Paul Pioneer Press

From what I read so far, it’s probably worth watching…

…and, speaking of Alonso and Dave, they do a podcast called “Linoleum Knife” where they share their reviews with you from their home in Los Angeles (somewhere). Go to iTunes and find them…

The four years of The Heirloom yielded some great players during this time. Whether or not they should be considered Hall of Fame material is a different story.

So, which players were amongst the best (in my opinion) during The Heirloom Era? I’ll name five right off the bat…

JOE MAUER, C – Minnesota Twins: The 2009 American League Most Valuable Player became the signature ballplayer for the Twins leading into this era. A local boy who kept his home base after he signed his life away was the right person to engage with the fans en route to becoming the top catcher in the Majors. That was until he was felled by a string of injuries. When Mauer is healthy, he brings the game to the yard. That is only when he is healthy. Still, he has the potential for a solid post-injury career once he heals from all of his ailments – pneumonia included.

PRINCE FIELDER, 1B – Milwaukee Brewers: He is not as built as his father, Cecil. He looked like a big guy who can swing a bat. He may be seen as a modern version of a John Kruk. But, Fielder is more than just a big guy who could swing a bat. He is one of two key run producers on the Brewers…and has done so since he came up through the minors. With Ryan Braun by his side, Fielder is also part of the biggest one-two punch in the game. That’s the kind of impact player Fielder is. Maybe he will win the MVP this year. Maybe he might share it with Braun. If the Brewers go far in the postseason, one eye should be on Fielder as the reason behind their success in the past few years.

ROY HALLADAY, P – Philadelphia Phillies: No one pitcher has dominated the game quite like “Doc”. If last year was any indication of how dominant Halladay became over the course of his career, then we may have forgotten about all the years that lead up to his 2010 season in Philadelphia. Fans in Toronto knew all about the potent right arm Doc had. He just needed a bigger stage. The Phillies gave him that stage. No one since Nolan Ryan had ever dominated in no-hit innings. But, Ryan never pitched a perfect game. Halladay pitched his perfecto against the Marlins in Miami almost mid-way through 2010. Then, he followed it up with a no-hitter in the NLDS against Cincinnati. If you’re a hitter and think you can hit off of Doc – think again.

DAVID ORTIZ, DH – Boston Red Sox: He’s the only Red Sox player to get some love from the New York fans…that is, of course, if you believe the video produced by the Fan Cave team. Ortiz is not the bad guy, mind you. He is a bubbly personality that gets serious when he steps up to the plate. If he connects with the ball, there is high probability that it will go far. How far? See that fence? Yeah…that far. One may accuse him of many things – ranging from PED use to his personality. However, when I need someone to take a ball into flight and let it clear the fence, “Big Papi” is my man. He made me love the Red Sox again.

MARIANO RIVERA, P – New York Yankees: I’m supposed to hate the Yanks. I’m supposed to despise the likes of A-Rod, Jeter, CC, Cano and Swish. But, I do respect a player who can rise above the team and accomplish a level of greatness needed in today’s game. As soon as we thought that no more milestones could be broken anymore, “Mo” went ahead and did so. As soon as we may never question who is a first-ballot Hall of Famer, “Mo” could be one when he finally is eligible. Just sit through an inning of his work – namely the top of the ninth – and see why he is considered one of the greatest closers ever. Sure, I can argue for Dennis Eckersley and Kent Tekulve – two of my favorites – and I’ll even throw in Trevor Hoffman and Rich Gossage. But, Mo simply goes out, does his job and cleans up afterwards. He has done so a record 602 times.

From 2008 to today, certain moments dictated more than others. Prior to publishing The Heirloom, baseball was dominated by the New York Yankees. That was until the day the Earth Stood Still: The Boston Red Sox’ 2004 World Series Championship.

In these four seasons, there were plenty of teams that made The Heirloom Era what it was: Winds of change, while the dominant continued to perpetuate the landscape.

Without further ado, these are five of the ball clubs that made these past four seasons worth writing about…

2008 TAMPA BAY RAYS: Once part of the last expansion in Major League Baseball, they were headed for the scrap heap by the mid-2000s. A tuned-up front office along with a deep talent pool in the farm system would change the course of history by October, 2008. These Rays did more than change the name, logos and uniforms. They would change the AL East forever. By sending the Red Sox home in the ALCS, they made it to the World Series. It wasn’t the prettiest Fall Classic, but their loss to the Philadelphia Phillies did not end their run. When the AL East needed it, the Rays showed they were for real – just as they did in 2008.

2009 MINNESOTA TWINS: It wasn’t about one game – Game 163. This was about a team that gave the doubters another reason to consider this team amongst the best in the 2000s. You can count the number of pennants Ron Gardenhire won for the Twins, but the improbable comeback to force the extra game could be considered one of the best moments in the team’s history. Even with Justin Morneau out of the lineup, the Twins went on to win Game 163 and a berth in the postseason. Sure, they lost to the Yankees in the ALDS – but everyone I know has not forgotten about Game 163 and the overall accomplishments of the 2009 Twins.

2010 TEXAS RANGERS: Since their arrival from Washington, DC in 1972, the Rangers were the team that almost did something great. A World Series would evade them for most of their history. Then came 2010, when a Ron Washington-led ballclub fulfilled the dreams of baseball fans in North Texas. They clearly did not dominate like most of their rivals. In fact, no one had them as being in the World Series. While fans in the Twin Cities and the Bronx saw their favored ball clubs left behind, the Rangers went on to their maiden World Series to face another improbable team – the San Francisco Giants. In the end, the Jints won the Commissioner’s Trophy. Yet, it would be the Rangers that would lick their wounds and tune up for another run back into the Fall Classic.

2011 OMAHA STORM CHASERS: What? No Major League team listed for this season? Unfortunately, yes. But, if the Farm Systems needed a shot in the arm, the Kansas City Royals had provided it for the past few seasons with deep talent coming through its Texas League club, the Northwest Arkansas Naturals. At the start of the 2011 season, the nucleus of this group of prospects arrived at their new ballpark in the suburbs of Omaha with two goals: To make it to the big club and to bring something home for the fans in Omaha. As Eric Hosmer and Matt Moustakas were called up to Kansas City, the talent pool was replenished enough to blaze through the Pacific Coast League this year. The result was the PCL title and their shot at the Triple-A National Championship. Though they lost to the Columbus Clippers last night in Albuquerque, the Storm Chasers run was indeed inspirational for the future of the Royals franchise.

2011 ST. PAUL SAINTS: Since the Northern League merged with the Golden Baseball League, four of the Saints’ old rivals showed up to raise the profile of the American Association. Try, as they may, they never stopped the Saints from landing in the league’s Championship Series. Even a five-game division series with the Winnipeg Goldeyes that went the distance couldn’t stop this team from their goal. However, they did not come home with the title – the third time since the re-establishment of the league. Regardless, if there was a team worth watching in 2011 that did not cause any controversy or other forms of insanity as in the Majors, it was the Saints. For those of you who were stuck on the bigs, you missed a darn good ballclub.

In four seasons, I attended a considerable amount of ballgames. I may have an actual count somewhere, but you can bet that most of them were Minnesota Twins home games.

However, the Metrodome and Target Field were not the only venues I attended games at. In total, I went to eleven ballparks – including seven Major League venues. If I were to expand this list to cover an entire lifetime, we would be talking about twenty-seven ballparks with fourteen Major League ones included.

The problem is to pick my favorite ballparks during The Heirloom Era, let alone all-time. I decided to make a list by rank of the ballparks I’ve attended games at – and those I’ve visited, but never attended a game.

MAJOR LEAGUE BALLPARKS
1. TARGET FIELD – Minneapolis, MN (Twins)
2. FENWAY PARK – Boston, MA (Red Sox)
3. WRIGLEY FIELD – Chicago, IL (Cubs)
4. YANKEE STADIUM – Bronx, NY (Yankees)
5. ANGELS STADIUM OF ANAHEIM – Anaheim, CA (Angels)
6. ORIOLE PARK AT CAMDEN YARDS – Baltimore, MD (Orioles)
7. OAKLAND-ALAMEDA COUNTY COLISEUM – Oakland, CA (A’s)
8. MALL OF AMERICA FIELD (HUBERT H. HUMPHREY METRODOME) – Minneapolis, MN (Twins)
9. MILLER PARK – Milwaukee, WI (Brewers)
10. DODGER STADIUM – Los Angeles, CA (Dodgers)
11. ROGERS CENTRE – Toronto, ON, CANADA (Blue Jays)
12. U.S. CELLULAR FIELD – Chicago, IL (White Sox)
13. QUALCOMM STADIUM – San Diego, CA (Padres)
14. CANDLESTICK PARK – San Francisco, CA (Giants)

MINOR LEAGUES (Including Independent Leagues)
1. THE DIAMOND – Lake Elsinore, CA (Lake Elsinore Storm)
2. WELD-JEN FIELD (PGE PARK) – Portland, OR (Portland Beavers/Tucson Padres)
3. PRINCE GEORGE’S STADIUM – Bowie, MD (Bowie Baysox)
4. TIME WARNER CABLE FIELD AT FOX CITIES STADIUM – Grand Chute, WI (Wisconsin Timber Rattlers)
5. PRINCIPAL PARK – Des Moines, IA (Iowa Cubs)
6. THE DIAMOND – Richmond, VA (Richmond Braves/Flying Squirrels)
7. JOE FABER STADIUM – St. Cloud, MN (St. Cloud River Bats)
8. CARSON PARK – Eau Claire, WI (Eau Claire Express)
9. POHLMAN FIELD – Beloit, WI (Beloit Snappers)
10. MIDWAY STADIUM – St. Paul, MN (St. Paul Saints)
11. WARNER PARK – Madison, WI (Madison Mallards)
12. COOPER STADIUM – Columbus, OH (Columbus Clippers)
13. PFITZNER STADIUM – Woodbridge, VA (Potomac Cannons/Nationals)

STADIUMS VISITED, BUT NEVER ATTENDED A GAME
1. SAFECO FIELD – Seattle, WA (Mariners)
2. COMERICA PARK – Detroit, MI (Tigers)
3. NATIONALS PARK – Washington, DC (Nationals)
4. PROGRESSIVE FIELD – Cleveland, OH (Indians)
5. NEWMAN OUTDOOR STADIUM – Fargo, ND (Fargo-Moorhead Red Hawks)
6. METRO BANK PARK – Harrisburg, PA (Harrisburg Senators)
7. HARRY GROVE STADIUM – Frederick, MD (Frederick Keys)
8. PERDUE STADIUM – Salisbury, MD (Delmarva Shorebirds)
9. FRAWLEY STADIUM – Wilmington, DE (Wilmington Blue Rocks)
10. RFK STADIUM – Washington, DC (Nationals)
11. VETERANS STADIUM – Philadelphia, PA (Phillies)
12. VETERANS MEMORIAL STADIUM – Cedar Rapids, IA (Cedar Rapids Kernels)
13. WADE STADIUM – Duluth, MN (Duluth Huskies)
14. MAYO FIELD – Rochester, MN (Rochester Honkers)
15. MUNICIPAL STADIUM – Hagerstown, MD (Hagerstown Suns)