Astros to remove Tal's Hill for 2016, release renderings of new CF layout

The Houston Astros are planning to get rid of Tal's Hill, the quirky little elevated mound in deep center field at Minute Maid Park.

MLB.com's Brian McTaggart reported on Thursday that the club's $15 million renovation plan has been approved by the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority, which also include bringing in the fences in center field.

At present, the center field wall sits a mammoth 436 feet from home plate. As McTaggart reported, the changes would bring the fences in to approximately 409 feet, much closer to the league average. 

Here's what Astros owner Jim Crane told MLB.com: 

The ballpark oddity has had its share of critics over the years -- though our Rob Neyer is a little sad to see it go -- and its existence has also forced outfielders like Carlos Gomez, Lance Berkman and Carlos Beltran to make some pretty incredible catches in pursuit of fly balls: 

Crane touched on the reputation of Tal's Hill and how the club viewed the decision to remove it:

Here are some renderings of what Minute Maid Park's new look may look like, shared on McTaggart's Twitter feed:

(h/t MLBlogs)