The new ballpark in Baltimore, Camden Yards, opened on April 6, 1992. The 20th anniversary will be marked on Friday when the Twins open the season against the Orioles.
Camden Yards revolutionized ballpark design and started a "We want one of those, too" movement that has swept baseball over the past two decades.
There have been 20 new ballparks built and two others, in Anaheim and Kansas City, dramatically remodeled in the pursuit of finding the same connection with the public that Camden Yards carried for so many years.
The most recent of those facilities, Marlins Park in Miami, served as the location for baseball's U.S. opener -- defending champ St. Louis vs. the Marlins -- on Wednesday night.
There were fish tanks and other gaudy gimmicks to be showed off on ESPN, and also a retractable roof that will come in handy when the 4:30 p.m. rainfalls make their daily appearance during the summer.
Here in Minnesota, the big news on the Twins occurred Tuesday, when the team allowed the local media to sample, report and videotape the new food items that will be on Target Field's 2012 menu.
This received more time on TV than anything taking place in Fort Myers, where the team completed seven weeks of workouts and exhibitions on Wednesday and then flew off to Baltimore to open the season.
The apparent return to health of Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau and Denard Span, the promise of rookies Chris Parmelee and Liam Hendriks ... those items weren't greeted with nearly the excitement that Valentini's mega-meatball and buffalo chicken mac 'n' cheese will be available at Monday's home opener.