Infield At ONEOK Field Turning Green

By Craig Day, The News On 6

TULSA, OK -- Tulsa's new downtown ballpark is taking root with a new milestone Monday. Crews are putting down the sod at ONEOK Field, the future home of the Tulsa Drillers.

This is an exciting day for the Tulsa Drillers and many baseball fans. Before the Tulsa Drillers can take the field, there has to be a field to take.

"We've got a long ways to go yet, but putting the sod down is kind of an exciting day for us," said Bob Jack, Manhattan Construction.

With the sod and other construction work, ONEOK Field is taking shape.

"It's really special to see because it doesn't happen everywhere," said Chuck Lamson, Tulsa Drillers president.

The sod is coming from Riverview Sod Ranch in Bixby. It's an improved version of the sod used at Drillers stadium.

9/27/2009 Related story: Preparing To Lay Sod For New Tulsa Drillers Field

"Like any bermuda you need a lot of heat, light and water, and for the next ten days we're going to put a lot of heat, light and water on it," said Bob Jack.

In just one day, construction crews will have all of the infield grass laid. Then within a few days, they'll start work in the outfield. They'll bring in giant rolls of sod on the back of nine semi trucks. Altogether, it adds up to about 95,000 square feet of sod.

Watch the construction progress of the ONEOK Field.  

Combine that with the new location and new stadium, it amounts to an exciting new chapter for the Tulsa Drillers.

"We'll get some new people that maybe haven't been to a Drillers baseball game ever or in a long time. They are coming back to check out ONEOK Field, to check out our product. I hope they take away that they've had a great, fun time and that they are going to come back," said Chuck Lamson.

Next month, construction crews will be putting up brick and metal paneling, so the ballpark will really start to take shape.

Another milestone will be installing the seats in November.

The Drillers will play their first game at the new ballpark in April.