If the Astros do resign Beltran it would be more of an incentive to remove that hill in center field? You invest the franchise in Beltran then have risk of him getting (god forbid) hurt chasing down a fly ball dead center.
I agree with you in a way. al's hill is a potential hazard. However, so far nobody has been injured on it. The Astros have to learn how to use it as an advantage. Beltran is lightening fast and could make it up to Tal's hill to save homeruns, whereas most center fielders aren't fast enough and don't play here enough to have the coordination to know when the hill is coming up. I can just picture Beltran running up to the top of the hill and taking away a 435 foot homerun!
The only reason I'd remove it for Beltran is because of the fact that he's probably HIT the ball up that hill 3 or 4 times (and that's more than anybody on the team, in his short tenure)... and they would have been homeruns anywhere else. Actually, for a guy with his abilities, having the hill out there would technically be an ADVANTAGE, given that he plays a deep CF, and has the athleticism to make catches on it... whereas others would stumble. Of course, I'm still of the mindset that it really doesn't come into play often enough to warrant the criticism that its received.
If they take the hill away, they aren't going to move the fence in. I agree that the hill needs to go.
yeah..i hear ya. this is my feeling as well. people b**** about the flagpole and the hill. i can count on one hand the number of times in the last 5 seasons that either has been a factor. the richie sexson shot being the most prominent of those.
Is that the one where his shot to deep hit the pole? I remember seeing someone hit the pole and dent it.
yeah...i think without the flagpole, it would have been the longest HR in the stadium's history. but it hit the flagpole and ended up being a double or triple.
if it hits the flag pole.. it seems like it should be a home run.. why don't I just put up a 100 foot wall behind 2nd base to block some balls I don't think there should be something in play that can block a ball.. if it hits above a certain point on the flag pole.. seems like it should be hr
fenway has a ladder in play...the green monster itself seems unnatural, though accepted because it's been there so long wrigley has the ivy in play, which in my mind is the worst/funniest/quirkiest of all of these..every ball that is hit to the wall, the OF goes back and puts his hands up like he can't find it so he can absolutely limit it to a double. detroit's old stadium used to have a flagpole in play the astrodome had speakers and roof in play crosley field in cincy used to have a hill in center similar to ours, but it extended out further into the outfield than ours does
That was Richie Sexson. I was watching the game and then went in shock when that happened. That ball was smoked high and dead center. I believe he still got a homerun for it.
I'd rather see a sand trap. Then the center fielder would have to run over to left field to pull him out. If he doesn't hurry fast enough the guy dies.
No, he said he hated it and wanted it removed before he would consider playing for us again. Personally, I like it. Practically, as has been said, it's not an issue often enough for people to be making such a big deal about it. SAVE TAL'S HILL!
