Wednesday, September 28, 2022 – six years from the day the Houston Astros played Last game with Tal’s Hill in the center – Albuquerque Isotopes played their last game against a hill in the middle of the field.
By 6:00 p.m. Thursday, Isotopes Hill has been destroyed. The last hill in professional baseball has been demolished, erasing the ultimate oddity on professional baseball. Where there used to be expand right and left, monument in the deep centerand uneven surfaces a lot, Rio Grande Credit Union Field is the ultimate oddball. ‘Topes Slope, as it is so aptly named by fans (it never had an official name), has stood in the central area since the park opened in 2003, an homage to Crossley Field in Cincinnati. The hill has seen three different MLB affiliates (Marlins, Dodgers, Rockies), multiple All-Stars, and several major plays during its lifetime, but its elimination couldn’t have come sooner.
I spoke with GM John Traub of Isotopes about what came to that decision. “We knew it was going to have to come out eventually at some point,” Traub told Deadspin. “We haven’t pushed it in a while. I mean, shoot, back when we worked with the Dodgers from 2009 to 2014, you know, they would have advocated for it to go away, but they understood that it was kind of unique. As soon as Major League Baseball began to deal more with facilities standards, we knew it was only a matter of time. “
MLB has taken a more progressive approach to player safety and injury prevention in recent years. You would think that removing off-court hills on all affiliated football fields would be one of the first moves they made, especially after Tal’s Hill in Minute Maid Park was removed in 2016. While Traub was a big supporter of the hill, he understood why it had to be removed. “There have been a few times throughout our history where a guy has had to leave the game because something was edited while they were going up the hill,” says Traub. “Ever had a career-threatening or end-of-season injury because of the mountains? Not that I know. However, from the perspective of Major League Baseball, I know that they don’t want to wait for that to happen. They don’t want to be reactionary, so I understand that. “
While major injuries have never occurred, that doesn’t mean the players are still not worried about such an incident happening. Isotopes center welding machine ‘2022 Wynton Bernard told Deadspin, “I’m definitely hurt. I’m always worried about myself and the other players. I thought, “Here’s a sprained ankle waiting to happen or a torn meniscus, and I think that’s why I’ve been working on it a lot, because I don’t want to get injured in that area.” it.”
Bernard says that he is mainly worried about the away team players. It took him several series to get used to playing with the hill, and every time someone new came to town, they would fall on their first encounter with the ramp. Bernard is no exception. “The first time I played on the hill was in 2017. There was a clip of someone hitting someone running home, and I fell. I played at the Sacramento River Cats,” said Bernard. “I’m embarrassed, but yes. It hasn’t always been perfect for me, but I have to play there in 2021 and 2022, so I’m used to that. “Visitors do not have such luxury.
Despite concerns about injury, the general consensus around the hill is mostly positive. Bernard said: “I will definitely miss it. “It added a unique touch to the football field. I wish it would still be there. I don’t like that people can get hurt on it, but you don’t see that in any other football field. It just looks great from a fan’s perspective, even a player’s perspective, predicting ‘Will he catch it?’ It adds a bit of excitement to the game. “
Bernard recalls one of his most memorable plays, where Bernard had to track a ball over a hill.
“It was a 6-6 ball game. We played against Sugarland. There was a ball flying over my head. I look back at the hill and I look at the shadow. I looked back at the hill and then I reached over my head and ended up falling,” Bernard recalls gleefully. “I was really excited so I caught it, because it was such a big situation, so I made sure the ball was in my glove. I was on the ground for three seconds. Then I rolled over and blew a kiss to the fan and started waving. Everyone gets a really big hit out of it. “
Traub also delivers on this play while reminiscing about the best moments of the hill. He calls Bernard an interesting player and says he has “one of the best smiles in the business”.
In a word, Traub said the removal of the hill was “more bittersweet” than anything else. On the one hand, he understood why it had to be removed. On the other hand, the hill reminded him of all the memories it brought back during its two decades of existence. It reminded him of his good friend Dave Rosenfield, who was a big factor in the creation and original layout of the football field. It reminded him of some of the great plays he had seen on that hill, especially the play Jamie Hoffman Where is Hoffman? robbed a run home on the hitter’s birthday. It reminds him of his fans and how much they think of the hill of love. In fact, fans might love it more than Traub.
“After our last game on Wednesday night, once we announced that we were going to put everyone on the field, up the hill and take pictures, I think we might have a few dozen or so. . We probably ended up with about 400 people out there,” Traub stated. “A lot of our game staff were out there. Our group actually went out there and took an impromptu group photo. Our office staff went out there and took an impromptu employee photo. It means a lot to a lot of people and some people have become emotional, and I find that neat.”
Isotopes Park still has some interesting features to it. Bernard calls the scoreboard in the center left “quite unique. It’s quite big. ” However, the magic that the hill brought has disappeared, and will likely never be recreated. Bernard said: “That’s what people know about the football field.
“You know, it’s funny. Over the years, a lot of people have said, “Why do you have a hill in the middle of a field?” ‘ said Traub. “Now that it’s out, we have a lot of people asking ‘Why did you take it out?’”
It is a difficult balance. Obviously, you want to keep the originality of the field intact, but you also have to keep the players in mind. That is the most important thing. While ballpark quirks like the Green Monster in Boston, the protruding right corner of Petco Park, or the deep left fence at Camden, are still common, none can compare. with the game-changing nature that the hills bring to the sport. Fans know it has to happen, but many hope it never happens. Alas, the last remnants of a bygone era of strange football fields are gone. ‘Topes Slope will be ignored.
