Astros postpone stadium renovations; Tal's Hill won't be removed for 2016

The most polarizing feature at Minute Maid Park will still be there next season, as the Houston Astros announced Thursday that their planned stadium renovations won't take place ahead of the 2016 campaign, effectively leaving Tal's Hill - the famous incline in center field - in place for another summer.

"Through the bidding process, we determined that the construction timelines to have the ballpark ready for Opening Day 2016 became too risky, and we decided it was in everyone's best interest to postpone the renovations," said Astros president of business operations Reid Ryan. "The playing field, including Tal's Hill, will stay the same for the 2016 season."

The removal of Tal's Hill was supposed to headline a $15-million renovation to Minute Maid Park, and the Astros hoped to use to the newly created space in center field to build a hall of fame honoring franchise luminaries. The club's renovation plan was approved in June by Harris County-Houston Sports Authority, which serves as the facility's landlord on behalf of the county taxpayers who own the ballpark.

"As you know, Tal's Hill, some people love it, some people hate it," Astros owner Jim Crane said in June. "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."