As the Tulsa Drillers (Class AA; Texas League) open their fourth season at ONEOK Field, things have never been better for the Hubbards, as the team may once again set an attendance record.
Attendance records are made to be broken, and it’s no coincidence that the three previous best seasons for the Drillers have been at the downtown ballpark, a facility that ended up being built after the team owners and city leaders overcame plenty of hurdles and some serious opposition from local business owners and fans who didn’t want to head downtown to a game. Since the opening of the ballpark, the Drillers have been a solid draw. From Tulsa World:
Most believe the all-time minor league baseball attendance record in Tulsa – 408,183 in 2010 – will once again be threatened this season.
The three biggest attendance seasons in Tulsa minor league baseball history have been the three seasons since the Drillers moved downtown to ONEOK Field from Drillers Stadium, the long-time home of Tulsa baseball at Expo Square.
The article addresses something you hear about every once in a while: whether Tulsa would ever move up to Triple-A, and whether the Drillers would affiliate again with the St. Louis Cardinals. The Hubbards sound pretty happy at Double-A, and the Cardinals, we hear, are back in serious talks to buy the Memphis Redbirds (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League). The Cards seem to like owning their upper affiliates — their tenure as owners of the Springfield Cardinals (Class AA; Texas League) has been successful — so doubling down on ownership with a purchase of the Redbirds makes some sense.
—-
Share your news with the baseball community. Send it to us at editors@augustpublications.com.
Are you a subscriber to the weekly Ballpark Digest newsletter? You can sign up for a free subscription at the Newsletter Signup Page.
Join Ballpark Digest on Facebook and on Twitter!
Follow Ballpark Digest on Google + and add us to your circles!