Tal's Hill stays

[MusicMan]

Mark Berman ‏@MarkBermanFox26
Astros owner Jim Crane said he will not alter anything involving Tal's Hill in center or the train in leftfield at Minute Maid Park for 2013

[jbm]

For 2013?

This stuff is so stupid.  Just make a decision.  It is not some complicated problem that needs more study or focus groups.   

[Limey]

For 2013?

This stuff is so stupid.  Just make a decision.  It is not some complicated problem that needs more study or focus groups.   

It takes time and money to take them down...

[EasTexAstro]

It takes time and money to take them down...

An afternoon and a couple of 12 packs of beer. Heck, maybe we could find out where Houston's dignity was buried...

[GreatBagwellsBeard]

I guess they did read the surveys after all.

Which is all well and good, and bully for the common man making his voice heard, but if Crane's going to lead this team by continually taking surveys, we'll have cheerleaders and Joe's Crab Shack in CF before we know it.

[Ron Brand]

I guess they did read the surveys after all.

Which is all well and good, and bully for the common man making his voice heard, but if Crane's going to lead this team by continually taking surveys, we'll have cheerleaders and Joe's Crab Shack in CF before we know it.

Tell him yes on 1 and no on 2.

[EasTexAstro]

Tell him yes on 1 and no on 2.

I wouldn't mind most people hanging out at Joe's in CF while I watched the game.

[hostros7]

Deep thoughts:

John McClain ‏@McClain_on_NFL

Astros are smart not to remove Tal's Hill and the train.

[Ty in Tampa]

Deep thoughts:

Smart good, right?

[remy]

They should convert the train into a rocket ship.

[jwhudson]

They should convert the train into a rocket ship.

That blasts off everytime the Astros hit a homer? 

[JimR]

That blasts off everytime the Astros hit a homer? 

that will be a great rocket fuel conservation measure.

[Gizzmonic]

that will be a great rocket fuel conservation measure.

Ouch

[Fredia]

hmm will they go back to astronauts to keep the field..i know they already have a flag planted at the top

[BUWebguy]

What's that you say? You want more market research studies? Chron reports it as less of a done deal:

The Astros are considering leaving Tal’s Hill and the left-field train intact for the 2013 season  but a final decision hasn’t been made.

Key Astros personnel are expected to converge next week to evaluate market research that sought to determine how fans felt about both items, and fan input will play a significant part in the decision. While Astros owner/chairman Jim Crane mentioned Thursday during a press conference the hill and train will remain untouched next season, the organization will likely gather behind closed doors before making an official announcement, which could come by late October.

http://blog.chron.com/ultimateastros/2012/10/18/astros-consider-keeping-tals-hill-and-the-train-for-2013/

[Ron Brand]

Can't wipe your ass without a few studies first.

[NeilT]

Reminds me of the Rockets from a few years back.

[Bench]

Reminds me of the Rockets from a few years back.

What a Postoloincidence. 

[David in Jackson]

one of the few things that hasn't been scrapped around here is one of the biggest jokes

[Fredia]

i am just waiting for the most highly paid ball player in the league (al accept it) to run up the hill tear something and never play again..

[HudsonHawk]

i am just waiting for the most highly paid ball player in the league (al accept it) to run up the hill tear something and never play again..

Because this has happened with alarming frequency in the stadium's 13 year history.  The number of great NL players who had their careers ruined by that hill are too numerous to count.

[Bench]

Because this has happened with alarming frequency in the stadium's 13 year history.  The number of great NL players who had their careers ruined by that hill are too numerous to count.

I think she was rooting specifically for A-Rod to be the victim.  

[NeilT]

Because this has happened with alarming frequency in the stadium's 13 year history.  The number of great NL players who had their careers ruined by that hill are too numerous to count.

Only surpassed by the number of great players who suffered serious injury or death when the flagpole fell on them.

[hostros7]

I think she was rooting specifically for A-Rod to be the victim.  

Which makes sense because his plan is to convert to a center fielder to lengthen his career and take advantage of his speed. 

[Bench]

Which makes sense because his plan is to convert to a center fielder to lengthen his career and take advantage of his speed. 

Now she has to make sense too?  Pffft. 

[David in Jackson]

Because this has happened with alarming frequency in the stadium's 13 year history.  The number of great NL players who had their careers ruined by that hill are too numerous to count.

Surpassed only by the number of ballparks across the country building hills in their OF (and the team president naming the hill for himself).

[Ty in Tampa]

Because this has happened with alarming frequency in the stadium's 13 year history.  The number of great NL players who had their careers ruined by that hill are too numerous to count.

Watching the Messiah do a face-plant on it at the first game I saw there endeared the hill to me.

[Reuben]

Surpassed only by the number of ballparks across the country building hills in their OF (and the team president naming the hill for himself).

The fact that you, personally, don't like the hill, doesn't mean the fools claiming it needs to go because it's a major injury risk are any less wrong. Nor does the fact that it's named after Tal Smith (yeah, I'm sure he "named it for himself").

The hill is what it is. A little forced quirkiness/character? Perhaps. But to me that's better than if they just lopped it off now, making it much more hitter-friendly.

[BUWebguy]

The hill is what it is. A little forced quirkiness/character? Perhaps. But to me that's better than if they just lopped it off now, making it much more hitter-friendly.

This. Kill the hill if you must, take out the flagpole if it concerns you, but leave the deep dimension.

[Mr. Happy]

This. Kill the hill if you must, take out the flagpole if it concerns you, but leave the deep dimension.

+1

[HudsonHawk]

The fact that you, personally, don't like the hill, doesn't mean the fools claiming it needs to go because it's a major injury risk are any less wrong.

So please give us a rundown of the major injuries that have occurred as a result of the hill.  Also, please list the injuries that have resulted from running into a wall and compare/contrast the statistical risk associated with each.  Please show your work.

[Reuben]

So please give us a rundown of the major injuries that have occurred as a result of the hill.  Also, please list the injuries that have resulted from running into a wall and compare/contrast the statistical risk associated with each.  Please show your work.

Uh, I think you're misunderstanding what I'm saying there.

[HudsonHawk]

Uh, I think you're misunderstanding what I'm saying there.

I guess so, because it read like you were saying that people who claim it's a major injury risk aren't necessarily wrong.

[subnuclear]

So please give us a rundown of the major injuries that have occurred as a result of the hill.  Also, please list the injuries that have resulted from running into a wall and compare/contrast the statistical risk associated with each.  Please show your work.

Number of regular games played in non-MMPUS stadiums: 2349
Multiply by 3 for 3 outfielders: 7047
Number of games played at MMPUS: 81
Multiply by 2 for 2 outfielders near walls at MMPUS: 162
Number of regular games played by outfielders by normal outfield walls:7209
Number of regular games played by outfielder near Tal's Hill: 81

If Tal's Hill had the same possible injury rate as an outfielder hitting a wall, then for every 89 major wall injuries you would get 1 Tal's Hill injury. There doesn't seem to be an easy place to get injury data, but if there were 10 wall injuries every year for the last 13 years that MMPUS has been open, you would expect maybe 1 Tal's Hill injury if the injury rate were equal.

[Bench]

I guess so, because it read like you were saying that people who claim it's a major injury risk aren't necessarily wrong.

The fact that Reuben referred to those people as "fools" and that it does "not mean .... they are any less wrong" should have tipped you off. 

[Bench]

Number of regular games played in non-MMPUS stadiums: 2349
Multiply by 3 for 3 outfielders: 7047
Number of games played at MMPUS: 81
Multiply by 2 for 2 outfielders near walls at MMPUS: 162
Number of regular games played by outfielders by normal outfield walls:7209
Number of regular games played by outfielder near Tal's Hill: 81

If Tal's Hill had the same possible injury rate as an outfielder hitting a wall, then for every 89 major wall injuries you would get 1 Tal's Hill injury. There doesn't seem to be an easy place to get injury data, but if there were 10 wall injuries every year for the last 13 years that MMPUS has been open, you would expect maybe 1 Tal's Hill injury if the injury rate were equal.

Don't you have to normalize for park factors?  The fact that the hill is 430 feet from home should reduce the frequency that it comes into play compared to normal outfield walls.  Maybe there's a OFInj+ that can be created. 

[HudsonHawk]

The fact that Reuben referred to those people as "fools" and that it does "not mean .... they are any less wrong" should have tipped you off.  

You would have thought, huh?  I guess it's the "don't...doesn't...less wrong"  quadruple negative thing that got me.

[Reuben]

You would have thought, huh?  I guess it's the "don't...doesn't...less wrong"  quadruple negative thing that got me.

I didn't think I hadn't never done misspoken more than I did there, but I ain't.

[Guinness]

I didn't think I hadn't never done misspoken more than I did there, but I ain't.

I for one completely failed to avoid not misunderstanding what you meant.

[subnuclear]

Don't you have to normalize for park factors?  The fact that the hill is 430 feet from home should reduce the frequency that it comes into play compared to normal outfield walls.  Maybe there's a OFInj+ that can be created. 

There is a significant amount of heterogeneity in wall construction as well so that's a great idea.