TulsaPeople / April 2010 / Baseball and Oklahoma

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Baseball and Oklahoma

Tulsa and the state of Oklahoma have a long and rich history of producing major league players.

Six members of the Baseball Hall of Fame were born in Oklahoma: Mickey Mantle, Lloyd and Paul Waner, Johnny Bench, “Bullet” Joe Rogan and Willie Stargell.

A quick look at the all-time elite players born in Oklahoma:

• Mickey Mantle (born in Spavinaw and reared in Commerce). Mantle played all 18 years of his career for the New York Yankees; was named the American League’s Most Valuable Player three times and played in 16 All-Star games; played on 12 pennant-winning teams and in seven World Series with the Yankees. He still holds the records for most World Series home runs (18), RBIs (40), runs (42), walks (43), extra-base hits (26) and total bases (123).
• Paul (“Big Poison”) Waner (born in Harrah). His 3,152 hits along with his younger brother, Lloyd’s, 2,459 hits still hold the major league career record for hits by brothers (5,611). He led the National League in batting three seasons and collected more than 3,000 hits in his 20-year career (1926 to 1945).
• Lloyd (“Little Poison”) Waner (born in Harrah). Received his nickname from his small stature (just 150 pounds); was one of the smallest players of the time; possessed the reputation of a slap hitter with a keen sense of plate discipline.
• Johnny Bench (born in Oklahoma City and grew up in Binger, Okla.). Catcher for the Cincinnati Reds during their dominant days; a 14-time All-Star and a two-time National League MVP. Bench was considered the best offensive and defensive catcher of the 1970s and was an important cog in the The Big Red Machine, which won six division titles, four National League pennants and two World Series championships.
• “Bullet” Joe Rogan (born in Oklahoma City). His heyday was in the Negro Baseball League as a pitcher and outfielder for the Kansas City Monarchs from 1920 to 1938. Rogan was unique in that he was a “two-way” player who could both hit and pitch successfully. Rogan won more games than any other pitcher in Negro Leagues history and ranked fourth highest in career batting average.
• Willie Stargell (born in Earlsboro). Over his 21-year career with the Pittsburgh Pirates, primarily as a first baseman, he batted .282 and collected 2,232 hits, 423 doubles, 475 home runs and 1,540 runs batted in. “Pops,” as he was known later in his career, led his team to six National League East Division titles, two National League pennants and two World Series.
  

Five other Hall of Fame members were residents of Oklahoma: Dizzy Dean, Carl Hubbell, Ferguson Jenkins, Warren Spahn and Willie Wells.

Other recent prominent major leaguers from Tulsa

• George Frazier. Pitcher for the Cardinals, Yankees, Indians, Cubs and Twins from 1978-1987; currently a broadcaster for the Colorado Rockies.
• Bob Shirley. Pitcher for the Padres, Cardinals, Reds, Yankees and Royals from 1977-1987.
• Steve Bowling. Outfielder for the Brewers and Toronto Blue Jays from 1976-1977; was in the opening-day starting lineup for the very first game in Blue Jays history.
• Joey McLaughlin. Pitcher for the Braves, Blue Jays and Rangers from 1977-1984
• Rick Wrona. Catcher for the Cubs, Reds, White Sox and Brewers from 1988-1994.
• Charlie O’Brien. Catcher for eight different teams over a 15-year big league career from 1985-2000.
• Steve Sparks. Pitcher for the Brewers, Angels, Tigers, Athletics and Diamondbacks from 1995-2004.
• Tim Flannery. Second baseman for the Padres from 1979-1989.

Highlights of Tulsa baseball history

• 1905 — Organized baseball arrives in Tulsa with a team that competes in the Missouri Valley League.
  

• 1932 — A new facility, Fairgrounds Park, is built and a team from Topeka transfers to Tulsa. The team had a season record of 98-48, the best winning percentage in Western League history.

• 1949 — Joe Adcock hits an 11th inning home run in game seven to lead the Oilers to a Texas League championship. Adcock goes on to play 17 years in the majors and is one of only 15 players in major league history to hit four home runs in a single game.
  

• 1959 — The Oilers organization becomes affiliated with the St. Louis Cardinals and serves as the Cardinal’s Triple-A club, just one step below the major leagues. This affiliation continues through the 1976 season when the team, unhappy with the aging stadium, moves to New Orleans.

• 1977 — A team from Lafayette, La., is moved to Tulsa and is named the Drillers and becomes the Double-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers.
  

• 1977 — During an exhibition game between the Texas Rangers and Houston Astros, a section of the wooden bleachers in the old stadium collapses and spills fans onto the concourse below. No deaths resulted, but 20 people were injured. The remainder of the stadium was bulldozed later that week. The Drillers play the next four seasons on a makeshift field with temporary bleachers.

• 1978 — Drillers left-hander Dave Righetti sets a Texas League record by striking out 21 batters. Righetti goes on to pitch 16 years in the major leagues. He pitches a no-hitter July 4, 1983, while pitching for the New York Yankees.
  

• 1981 — Robert B. Sutton Stadium opens, named after a benefactor of the new stadium. After Sutton, a Tulsa oilman, is convicted of fraud, the name is changed to Tulsa County Stadium, then later to Drillers Stadium.

• 1999 — The all-time Tulsa baseball attendance record is set as 351,929 fans watch the Drillers during the season.
  

• 2003 — After 26 seasons as a Texas Rangers affiliate, the Drillers become an affiliate of the Colorado Rockies.

• 2005 — Tulsa celebrates the 100th anniversary of professional baseball in the city.
  

• Sept. 7, 2009 — The last game is played in Drillers Stadium.

• April 8, 2010 — The first game is scheduled to be played at ONEOK Field.