Former names | Robert B. Sutton Stadium (1981–1982) Tulsa County Stadium (1982–1989) Drillers Stadium (1989–2014) |
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Location | 15th and Yale, Tulsa, Oklahoma |
Owner | Tulsa County |
Capacity | 10,997 |
Field size | LF: 335 CF: 390 RF: 340 |
Surface | Grass |
Opened | 1981 |
Tenants | |
Tulsa Drillers (TL) (1981–2009) The Bedlam Series baseball Tulsa Athletics (NPSL) (2013–2017) |
Athletics Stadium is a formerminor league baseball stadium located in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The stadium was known as Drillers Stadium until early 2014 when it adopted its current name. From 1981 to 2009, Drillers Stadium was home to the Tulsa Drillers, of the Double-A Texas League. For a number of years Drillers Stadium also hosted one of the regular season baseball games played between Oklahoma State University and the University of Oklahoma in the Bedlam Series. Athletics Stadium is located on the southwest corner of Yale Avenue and 15th Street, in the Expo Square/Tulsa Fairgrounds complex that also includes Expo Square Pavilion, the QuikTrip Center and Golden Driller, a racetrack, a waterpark, and the sites of the former Bell's Amusement Park and of Oiler Park, where Tulsa's professional baseball teams had played since 1934.
After the Tulsa Oilers, a Triple-A team, left Tulsa in 1976 due to the continuing deterioration of Oiler Park, followed by the partial collapse of the Oiler Park grandstand during a 1977 exhibition game, Tulsa County's long-delayed efforts to build a new stadium were accelerated. The new 8,000 seat stadium was completed in 1981 and named Robert B. Sutton Stadium, in honor of its chief benefactor, a local oil executive. However, Sutton was convicted in 1982 on obstruction of justice charges, and the ballpark was renamed Tulsa County Stadium. The stadium received the name Drillers Stadium in 1989. The stadium eventually seated 10,997, making it the largest stadium in Double-A baseball. Originally a multi-purpose stadium with an artificial surface playing field, it later acquired a Prescription Athletic Turf (PAT) grass surface. Though it primarily served as a baseball stadium, monster truck rallies and concerts were also held there.