Drillers Hunt For New Mascot

Friday, March 16th 2007, 5:00 pm

By: News On 6

The Tulsa Drillers are hunting for a new Hornsby. The old one would like to retire; heâ€™s been around since the 1996 season. The News On 6â€™s Rick Wells reports the job requirements are pretty simple, Hornsby needs to be friendly and enthusiastic, love people and baseball, and of course he needs to be blue.

The Tulsa Drillers are on the horns of a dilemma so to speak, they are looking for a new Hornsby.

"The mascot is the biggest marketing tool you have," said Tulsa Drillers Promotions and Merchandise Manager Tom Jones.

Over the years mascots have become a major part of the sports business, in marketing terms Jones says they are a branding tool, the mascot becomes the face of the team.

"He's there to entertain the fans and entertain the kids, so he's got to be lively and big," he said.

Hornsby's been around since the â€˜96 season, a young man named Brandon Brown gets credit for naming him, All-Star 2nd baseman Rogers Hornsby was the inspiration. Hornsby's changed uniforms and put on a little weight since then, but haven't we all, anyway the Drillers would like to let him retire and enjoy life a little.

The new Hornsby gotta be hip, he doesn't have to be able to juggle, but it might help, and being sort of athletic helps too.

The Drillers would like to have the new Hornsby in place by the beginning of the season, but big blue bulls are kind of hard to find. If you know one or think you could become one the Drillers are looking for you!

If you're interested in the job, e-mail Tom Jones at tom@tulsadrillers.com