Houston’s Outfield Bump is Going, Going, Gone

Minute Maid Park, home of the Astros, is getting a makeover this offseason – the outfield quirk known as Tal’s Hill will be no more.
 

By Michael MarksSeptember 29, 2016 10:29 am,

It’s been there for 17 seasons, a rare architectural quirk in a game that prides itself on tradition and uniformity: Tal’s Hill, the bump in center field at Houston’s Minute Maid Park.

But yesterday’s loss to the Seattle Mariners may mark the last time the Houston Astros will get to blame that little incline dead center in the outfield. In the stadium’s makeover this offseason, Tal’s Hill is scheduled for demolition.

Hunter Atkins, sports reporter for the Houston Chronicle, says stadium ownership is getting rid of the bump to make way for amenities – like a bar – to enhance the fan experience.

“We are getting to a time now when there’s homogenization that’s happening,” Atkins says. “Quirks of ballparks are being phased out because you want to use every square inch possible to make a dime.”

What you’ll hear in this segment:

– How the bump got in the field design in the first place

­– What fans think of the bump

­– How the stadium’s unique architecture has impacted games