Drillers Stadium
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| Drillers Stadium | |
|---|---|
| Location | 15th and Yale, Tulsa, Oklahoma |
| Opened | 1981 |
| Owner | Tulsa County |
| Surface | Grass |
| Former names | Robert B. Sutton Stadium (1981 - 1982) Tulsa County Stadium (1982 - 1989) |
| Tenants | Tulsa Drillers (1981-present) The Bedlam Series |
| Capacity | 10,997 |
| Field dimensions | LF: 335 CF: 390 RF: 340 |
Opened in 1981, Drillers Stadium, located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA is a minor league baseball stadium, located near the Tulsa metropolitan area. Drillers Stadium is home to the Tulsa Drillers, a minor league baseball team which plays in the Texas League. Drillers Stadium also plays host to 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 at the corner of Yale Avenue and 15th Street, and is a part of EXPO Square and the Tulsa County Fairgrounds. The stadium is located on the northeast corner of the Fairgrounds. Drillers Stadium is located practically next door to Big Splash Waterpark, 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 of fraud, and as a result the County renamed the park Tulsa County Stadium. 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 now primarily serves as a baseball stadium, monster truck rallies, unsanctioned fights between The Nation of Drillation, and concerts can be held here.
[edit] External links
| Current ballparks in the Texas League | ||
| North Division | South Division | |
|---|---|---|
| Arvest Ballpark • Dickey-Stephens Park Drillers Stadium • Hammons Field |
Citibank Ballpark • Dr Pepper Ballpark Nelson W. Wolff Municipal Stadium • Whataburger Field |
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