I have made it clear to Bryn M'Taggare't that I'm not interested in her articles about the Astros. I posted some of her stuff on Farmstros, because she does good work in her coverage of the franchise. However by and large, I feel that the best course of action for this space is to ignore the goings on at Crawford and Texas.
I will give Ms. M'Taggare't credit for her persistence. She still regularly sends me her stories about what is going on at Minute Maid Park. Although I usually don't share what she writes, I find I must pass on her most recent essay.
Astros Look to Sell Naming Rights to the Hill at Minute Maid Park
by Bryn M'Taggare't
Via a prepared statement, the Astros have announced that they are considering selling the naming rights to the hill that sits in center field at Minute Maid Park. "We feel that the hill is a unique asset of our stadium," the release stated. "We would be remiss not to look into the possibility of making money off of it."
The statement indicated that the current plan is to keep the flag pole in place on the hill. However, if "an organization pays $10 million, they will have the final say so on the status of the flag pole in addition to the naming rights for the next 15 seasons."
Independent sources have indicated that the club's interest in getting rid of the hill has been prompted primarily by ongoing awkwardness with the hill's current namesake. According to these sources, when the Jim's Crane purchase of the team took place three years ago, the buyer was under the impression that Tal Smith would continue paying rights to have his name ascribed to the hill through the 2017 season.
These payments from Mr. Smith have not materialized. Numerous attempts to find a resolution on this matter have proven unsuccessful.
The club is also considering getting rid of the hill entirely, which could provide alternative ways to monetize that part of the stadium. A final decision on the matter is expected after an appropriate amount of time.
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