Tal’s Hill at Minute Maid Park, which was designed to "replicate the quirks of 20th-century ballparks for the enjoyment of 21st-century fans, will give way" to a $15M redesign that includes a "centerfield observation tower, a field-level club section and gathering spots for groups," according to a front-page piece by David Barron of the HOUSTON CHRONICLE. The Astros "will pay for the alterations" and will soon "solicit bids for construction partners for the project." Tal's Hill, which was named for former Astros exec Tal Smith, lasted 16 years "as a defining characteristic" of the ballpark, drawing "praise from some for its throwback elements but criticism from others as a nuisance, an eyesore and even a danger zone." Eliminating it will "allow the Astros to move the center-field fence in from 436 feet," the deepest in MLB, to 409 feet, at "roughly the outer edge of the current warning track." Seating capacity "will be reduced by about a hundred seats, but eliminating Tal's Hill, with its 30-degree incline, will create more space for the Astros to entertain fans at, potentially, premium prices" (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 6/5). FOXSPORTSSOUTHWEST.com's Shawn Ramsey notes renovations that include "improved seating, food and beverage options" are planned to be completed by the start of the '16 season. Tal's Hill has "provided some great highlights over the years," but its existence has "sparked some controversy since the park opened" in '00. Critics of the hill "argue that the sudden incline could lead to player injuries and that it is an unnecessary risk to have as a ballpark feature." To date, "no injuries have occurred from a player running up the center field hill" (FOXSPORTSSOUTHWEST.com, 6/4).
GROUND CONTROL: Astros President of Business Operations Reid Ryan said the team had been "kicking this thing around for a while and tweaking it." Ryan: "The genesis of this really was [Owner Jim Crane saying] look, I want to do something in center field, because he’s been to the other ball parks and seen that there’s not a place at Minute Maid Park where everyone can come together. He wants to make this the best stadium in baseball. If you look around at our facility, we don’t have a spot really where millennials, young professionals can come and gather. Where they want to see the game. You’ve been to all the games (elsewhere), you’ve seen it, they have one" (CHRON.com, 6/4). ESPN’s Michael Wilbon said he enjoyed seeing Tal’s Hill “when it first came out" as players would "run up it and make great catches." He added he "even sort of snickered a little bit when guys fell.” But he noted if people are going to talk about "acting in the interest of safety in all these sports now, you've got to take that out. It can cause injury. ... You just don’t need the risk of it out there.” ESPN’s Tony Kornheiser said he likes “quirky things at ballparks,” but he added, “I don’t like quirky things in the field. I always thought ... it’s sort of a safety issue" ("PTI," ESPN, 6/4). ESPN’s Keith Law said, “I always expected someone to blow out a knee on this. It’s a miracle they didn’t” (“Baseball Tonight,” ESPN2, 6/4).
