Houston Astros: Tal's Hill's Final Epilogue

It’s official. As of Monday, the Houston Astros bid farewell to what has been known as Tal’s Hill in center field. In an afternoon groundbreaking ceremony at Minute Maid Park, renovations are to begin removing the hill and it will offer some normalcy to the ballpark’s center field. The move has been years in the making.

It’s official. As of Monday, the Houston Astros bid farewell to what has been known as Tal’s Hill in center field.

After a befitting afternoon groundbreaking ceremony at Minute Maid Park, renovations are to begin removing the hill and it will offer some normalcy to the ballpark’s center field. The move has been years in the making.

A feature that was created under the brainchild of former Astros’ president of baseball operations Tal Smith, the hill has never been a fan favorite much less a player’s favorite so its demise is welcomed news.
The idea of an incline at a ballpark is not necessarily old news as some parks such as Crosley Field in Cincinnati had such back in the day. At a 30-degree incline, not only was the hill a hazard for center fielders alike for the past 16 years but it was also the flagpole that many did not appreciate as well.

Here’s what Astros’ owner Jim Crane told MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart:

"“As you know, Tal’s Hill, some people love it, some people hate it,” he said. “We just thought it would be a better ballpark by moving that in. It will still be a very deep center field. There’s always been concern with the flag poles in play and danger in that and also the injuries going up the Hill, so we think this would be better for the players, utilize the space better and be a very pretty ballpark.”"

With the removal of the hill, the fence will also move inward from a staggering 436 feet — deepest in the league — to a more manageable 409 feet, which would make it MLB’s sixth-deepest.

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The move should be welcomed by Astros’ hitters who hit 10 shots in the expanse of Tal’s Hill that would have gone for round trippers if the fence had been in place in 2016. Whether those four baggers would have translated into more wins for the ‘Stros, we can only imagine.

Tal’s Hill now becomes the latest valuable piece of real estate at Minute Maid Park to be turned into a revenue producing asset.

What’s planned?

Three bars, four new concession stands, field-level seating — a first at MMP — along with new elevators and escalators will be added.

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The iconic Conoco gas pump that protrudes from the standing-room only area will continue to hold its incredible prominence in the newly-revamped area.

These historic renovations are expected to be completed just ahead of their home opener, which will be April 3 of next year against the Seattle Mariners.

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Houston Astros: Tal’s Hill’s Final Epilogue

By Louis Roesch | Oct 12, 2016

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