Yes, I know that whilst is anachronistic.
Well, so is Tal's Hill. And I appreciate them both.
Which is why I'll do my best to keep whilst alive.
There's nothing I can do about Tal's Hill, though. Next spring, it'll be even deader than the Astrodome ...
The Astros have received preliminary approval from the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority their plans for a $15-million renovation to Minute Maid Park that would include the removal Tal’s Hill in center field and moving the flag poles so they’re no longer in play.
--snip--
Crane said the center field fence, which currently sits 436 feet from home plate, would be brought in to about 409 feet. The extra space beyond the wall would be used for additional concessions and fan-friendly areas where spectators can watch the game.
--snip--
“As you know, Tal’s Hill, some people love it, some people hate it,” Crane 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.”
Just to be really clear, I've been hearing that crap about danger and injuries since it was called Enron Field, and I believe the grand tally of injuries caused by the center-field configuration, flagpoles and all, in 15-plus seasons is approximately ... ZERO.
The people who complain about injuries are really just fishing for a reason to complain about something when their real complaint is that it's different. A lot of people have a really tough time with different.
Let me hasten to say I don't really believe in different for different's sake, at least not when it comes to ballparks, or architecture in general; I'm generally a form-follows-function sort of fellow. But if you're going to have a center field as deep as the Astros have, that little hill actually becomes an esthetically pleasing backdrop. And the flagpoles are a lovely homage to the late, great Tiger Stadium, with a similarly distant fence in dead center.
That said, a shorter center field is more fan-friendly, if only because they can stick an Astros Hall of Fame or a beer garden or whatever back there. I'll miss Tal's Hill, though, because it was one of the very few interesting things about that stadium.
So Tal's Hill is dead, or will be soon. I'm just glad that time is a flat circle.
