The Tulsa Rumblers, a sandlot baseball club, the Tulsa Drillers, and other community members are teaming up to give the Lacy Park ballpark a much-needed makeover.
The field is more than just your average neighborhood sandlot. In the 1950s, it was home to Tulsa’s Negro League semi-pro team, the T-Town Clowns. The Tulsa Rumblers started playing pick-up games on Sunday afternoons at Lacy in 2019, but the field was in desperate need of repairs
When public funding to fix the ballpark wasn’t available, a grassroots community project took shape with help from the Tulsa Drillers staff, Lacy Park Council, the Rumblers, and other local sandlot clubs.
“It’s inspiring to see a group of hard-working, passionate volunteers come together to improve this piece of Tulsa’s history,” said Anna America, Chief of Culture and Parks and Recreation. “The project will save Tulsa Parks tens of thousands of dollars in renovation costs.”
Lowe’s donated $8000 in building supplies for the project and Third Generation Electric, Inc., donated materials, staff, and expertise for the electrical work. Drillers staff members, the Rumblers and other local sandlot players are providing the labor.
“Lacy Park is our home and has been a cornerstone in this neighborhood for decades,” said Bret Spears, who plays for the Tulsa Rumblers. “This area is like Greenwood. It’s a piece of history that deserves to be saved.”
The Drillers also auctioned off their “T-town Clowns” replica jerseys worn during the Juneteenth game, raising more than $3500 for the project.
“All of us on the Drillers staff are excited to be able to help with the renovation work at Lacy Park,” said Drillers President Mike Melega. “Lacy Park has played an important role in the history of baseball in Tulsa. With the work now being done to the facility, it should continue to be a great place for the community to come together and enjoy the great game of baseball while also helping younger folks understand its wonderful history.”
Volunteers will spend the next few days renovating the broken stadium lights, refurbishing the fieldhouse, fixing the bleachers, and even doing some turf work.
Volunteers and community members will celebrate the ballpark’s new look Sunday, July 11 at 1 p.m., with a double-header sandlot game of the Rumblers home team versus the Tulsa Breeze and a brand-new team, Driller Lite, made up of Drillers staff members.
The public is welcome to attend and even play in the game.
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