A diamond in the rough is truly what you are, Durham Athletic Park. We see that now.

Years back we lost you. Time pulled us away -- across town, to the new ballpark -- and made you an afterthought in the public consciousness. A footnote was what you were. It read: "Kevin Costner was here."

Life zoomed by along Corporation and Foster without so much as a nostalgic glance in the rearview. (Objects in mirror are lonelier than they appear.)

You sat there, quiet, suffering the shameful indignity of having a beer festival stomp all over your stomping grounds. Remember 2005, when they ruined you? Countless other festivals also used your turf in vain.

Ah, but now ... Now, we realize how fickle we've been.

The festivals have been shooed away for now. "Bull Durham" is 20 -- a nice, round number -- and old is in, and the preservation bandwagon has room for a few more.

Now CNNSI.com treats Durham as if it were baseball's Jerusalem. (The left field wall's holy, don't ya know.)

Now ESPN.com features your sandlot as the number one place to visit in last week's "Lost Ballparks and Old Landmarks" piece.

The city will start gussying you up to the tune of $6.3 million later this month. The new you, when you're ready, will be presented -- not unlike a debutante -- as a Minor League Baseball training facility and a ballfield for N.C. Central University.

There will be ribbons and refreshments and a party with local dignitaries. Of this, I'm sure. And in the end, we'll pat ourselves on the back for a job well done.