The main entrance to Warner Park, aka “The Duck Pond,” home of the Madison Mallards.

I’m back home after a weeklong vacation in Wisconsin. While there I visited Warner Park (nicknamed “The Duck Pond”), home of the Madison Mallards of the Northwoods League. It hosted Midwest League games from 1982 to 1994, mostly as the home ballpark of the Madison Muskies (now the West Michigan Whitecaps), but also as the home of the Madison Hatters (now the Great Lakes Loons) for one season.

Yesterday was another exciting day to watch or listen to Major League Baseball. The teams participating in the National League Championship Series finally have been determined – both in one-run games – which means MLB is ready to move to its next round of playoffs.

The championship series round begins tonight with ALCS Game 1 between the Detroit Tigers (95-67) and the Texas Rangers (96-66). Justin Verlander will take the mound for the Tigers and C.J. Wilson will toe the rubber for the Rangers. NLCS Game 1 between the St. Louis Cardinals (90-72) and the Milwaukee Brewers (96-66) takes place tomorrow, with Jaime Garcia starting for the Cardinals and Zack Greinke taking the mound for the Brewers.

Brewers OF Carlos Gomez slides into third base during a rehab stint with the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers earlier this year. He scored the winning run for the Brewers in Game 5 of the NLDS yesterday.