As the saying goes, everything's bigger in Texas. One would have to look further than Minute Maid Park to know that fact was true. Big roof. Big air-conditioning. Big video screens. And of course, a big hill in center field.
That hill was called Tal’s Hill. On Wednesday in a meaningless game between the Seattle Mariners and the Houston Astros, Minute Maid Park said goodbye to arguably the biggest defining factor of Minute Maid Park, a hill and a flag pole in the field of play.
The hill was the idea of then team president Tal Smith, who wanted to implement elements of classic ballparks like Crosley Field.