In 1996, when the Astros were designing a new stadium during a meeting at the Astrodome, owner Drayton McLane asked "What can we do to make this ballpark special?" Tal Smith is an American former professional baseball executive who has served in high baseball operations positions—including general manager and club president—as well as the founder of a firm that advises Major League Baseball teams on salary arbitration cases. responded by suggesting a hill and a pole in center field similar to the Cincinnati Reds' Crosley Field. The project became known as "Tal's Hill" when architects Populous made designs to facilitate the inclusion of the hill. Some players nicknamed it "The Grassy Knoll".
