We Minnesotans have arrived, some of us kicking and screaming, at a memorable occasion in the shared life of the community: The home opener for Target Field, a breathtaking gem of a baseball stadium that should unite young and old in civic pride and enjoyment.

There have been reports of longtime Twins fans fighting back tears during initial visits to the downtown Minneapolis ballpark. Many probably doubted that Teflon-free baseball would ever return to Minnesota, but Target Field connects this generation with outdoor ballparks named Nicollet, Lexington, Midway and Metropolitan, and players named Toni (Tomboy) Stone and Chief Bender. At almost every turn, the stadium evokes and honors the past.

There's a reason throwback jerseys are all the rage in pro sports. In difficult times, when the future is most uncertain, we take even more comfort in our connections to a past bathed in the rosy twilight of memory. An illogical, pleasurable nostalgia moves us to fork over $150 for a Killebrew or Oliva jersey in the era of the iPad.

Baseball, more than any sport, appeals to those of us who want the world to slow down, to be simpler. As the late comedian George Carlin observed, the game is played in a park, the players wear caps and the object is to go home. What more could you want at a time like this?

Sports in general, and baseball in particular, link generations regardless of gender, race or geography. Win or lose, our teams' endeavors strengthen the connective tissue that holds us together as Minnesotans, from the Iron Range to downtown Minneapolis. You may strain to have a civil conversation with a neighbor about health care reform, but how about that catch Denard Span made to save the game in the ninth? Even lamenting our teams' shortcomings brings us together.

Stadium critics often accuse this page of cheerleading. Today, we couldn't be guiltier. On this Monday, we're cheering louder than ever. In an April 4 Opinion Exchange commentary, talk-show host Jason Lewis effectively debunked the economic development claims often used to argue for public money for stadiums. But such arguments ignore the reality that if a community wants to sell itself as major-league, it has to play by the rules established in cities around the country. Lewis and other stadium critics also mistakenly dismiss the intangible benefits of pro sports in making a weather-challenged metro area a more attractive place to live and work.

The full return on our investment in Target Field is not easily measured. Three years after the devastating collapse of an interstate bridge, as we struggled to come back from one of the worst economic downturns in history, hundreds of talented, hardworking Minnesotans put the finishing touches on an urban masterpiece that restores Minnesota pride in what we can build for this and future generations. They deserve our cheers and our thanks.

Beyond curiosity, there's a very good reason why downtown workers, visitors and Twins fans can be found walking the perimeter of the stadium every day, sticking cameras through locked gates and gathering with friends and family members on Target Plaza: It's good for the soul.

This afternoon the Twins and their fans will open their new park, wear caps and try to go home as often as possible. It's a day of celebration in a city and state that deserve to feel the joy that comes with statewide pride, achievement and a Joe Mauer home run. Let the cheering begin.