Drillers Stadium

Drillers Stadium
Former names	Robert B. Sutton Stadium (1981 - 1982) Tulsa County Stadium (1982 - 1989)
Location	15th and Yale, Tulsa, Oklahoma
Opened	1981
Owner	Tulsa County
Surface	Grass
Capacity	10,997
Field dimensions	LF: 335 CF: 390 RF: 340
Tenants
Tulsa Drillers (1981-2009) The Bedlam Series

Opened in 1981, Drillers Stadium, located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA is a minor league baseball stadium, located in the Tulsa metropolitan area. From 1981 to 2009, Drillers Stadium was home to the Tulsa Drillers, a minor league baseball team which plays in the Texas League. Drillers Stadium has also hosted one of the three regular season baseball games played between Oklahoma State University and the University of Oklahoma each year in the Bedlam Series (the other two games are played in Oklahoma City at the larger AT&T Bricktown Ballpark).

Drillers Stadium is located on the southwest corner of Yale Avenue and 15th Street, and is a part of EXPO Square and the northeast corner of Tulsa Fairgrounds. Big Splash Waterpark is up the street from the stadium, and about a fourth of a mile to the northeast of the former home of Bell's Amusement Park. A Walgreens is located across the street, which replaced a Bud's supermarket. Home run balls from Driller's Stadium sometimes landed in the parking lot of the Bud's.

Tulsa County completed 8,000 seat Robert B. Sutton Stadium in 1981, naming it for its chief benefactor, a local oil executive. Sutton, however, was convicted in 1982 on obstruction of justice charges, and as a result the County renamed the ballpark Tulsa County Stadium.^[1] In 1989, Drillers Stadium received its current name. The stadium now seats 10,997, making it the largest stadium in Double-A baseball. Originally a multi-purpose stadium with an artificial surface playing field, it now features a Prescription Athletic Turf (PAT) grass surface. Since its installation in 1993, the field has regularly been rated one of the best in the Texas League by players and managers.

Though it has primarily served as a baseball stadium, monster truck rallies and concerts can be held here. On December 19, 2008, construction began on a new ballpark in downtown Tulsa, ONEOK Field, which replaced Drillers Stadium before the 2010 baseball season.

The Drillers played their final game in Drillers Stadium on September 7, 2009.^[2]

References

1. ^ "Tycoon who helped fund Drillers Stadium dies", Tulsa World, July 7, 2009.
2. ^ Lynn Jacobsen,"Tulsa rolls to big win in finale", Tulsa World, September 8, 2009.

External links

• Drillers Stadium
• Ballpark Reviews
• Drillers Stadium Views - Ball Parks of the Minor Leagues
• "City breaks ground on downtown ballpark," Tulsa World, December 19, 2008.
• Barry Lewis, "Best moments at Drillers Stadium", Tulsa World, September 6, 2009.
• ONEOK Field official website

Coordinates: 36°8′22.73″N 95°55′25.20″W / 36.1396472°N 95.923667°W / 36.1396472; -95.923667