Tulsa Oilers

From BR Bullpen

TulsaOilers.jpg
  • Ballpark: Oiler Park


The Tulsa Oilers played in the Missouri Valley League in 1905, the Oklahoma-Arkansas-Kansas League in '07, the Oklahoma-Kansas League in '08, the Western Association in '10-'11, the Oklahoma State League in '12 and the WA again from '14-'17.

The Oilers were new members of the Western League in 1919. After a strong second-place finish that year, they won the pennant in '20, '22, '27, '28 and '29. While they were the strongest team in the league for a decade, they lost their home in '30 when their park was declared unsuitable by the city and other civic disputes led the team to a transfer to Topeka where they became the Topeka Senators. They made one more Western appearance, in 1932, and made it to the finals before losing. In 1923 Lyman Lamb hit 71 2Bs, and in 1924 he set the minor league record with 100.

In 1933, the Oilers joined the Texas League, where they remained for the next 33 years, except for '43-'45 when the TL shut down for World War II. The team in this era was mostly associated with the Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds. In the last 28 years there, the team appeared in the playoffs 20 times.

With the city growing, owner A. Ray Smith moved the team to the larger Pacific Coast League in '66. They won the division that year and two years later took home the PCL championship.

When the American Association was restarted in '69, the Oilers were charter members. They finished second their first year, won the pennant in '73 and '74 and lost the Junior World Series in 1973. Stadium problems again reared their head - with the city refusing to build a new one, Smith moved the team to New Orleans where they became the New Orleans Pelicans. In their years in the AA, Tulsa had featured Ted Simmons, Jerry Reuss, Keith Hernandez, Bob Forsch and Mike Easler.

Tulsa returned to the Texas League in '77, but the Oilers nickname was replaced by Drillers and a name used for 8 decades had fallen way by the wayside.

Sources include "The Western League" by Madden and Stewart and "The American Association" by Bill O'Neal


Year-by-Year Record[edit]

Year League Class Record Finish Manager Playoffs
1905 Missouri Valley League C 44-58 6th Charlie Schafft none
1906 South Central League D 45-42 4th Cap Smith / William Rupp League disbanded in August
1907 Oklahoma-Arkansas-Kansas League D 37-60 -- Jake Beckley Team disbanded August 6
1908 Oklahoma-Kansas League D 69-55 2nd Deacon White / Stu McBirney League Champs
1910 Western Association C 28-68 -- Gus Weyhing / Con Harlow Team disbanded July 22
1914 Western Association D 74-49 1st Howard Price
1919 Western League A 77-63 2nd Spencer Abbott League Champs
1920 Western League A 92-61 1st Spencer Abbott none League Champs
1921 Western League A 65-103 8th Jimmy Burke (29-56) / Bill Clymer (36-47) none
1922 Western League A 103-64 1st Jack Lelivelt none League Champs
1923 Western League A 101-67 2nd Jack Lelivelt none
1924 Western League A 98-69 3rd Jack Lelivelt none
1925 Western League A 75-91 7th Lyman Lamb (28-41) / Marty Berghammer (47-50) none
1926 Western League A 86-78 4th Marty Berghammer none
1927 Western League A 101-53 1st Marty Berghammer none League Champs
1928 Western League A 96-69 2nd Marty Berghammer League Champs
1929 Western League A 95-66 1st Marty Berghammer (39-25) / Nick Allen (56-41) none League Champs
1932 Western League A 98-48 1st Art Griggs League Champs
1933 Texas League A 65-86 6th Art Griggs
1934 Texas League A 77-75 5th Jake Atz
1935 Texas League A 82-79 4th Art Griggs Lost in 1st round
1936 Texas League A1 80-74 3rd Marty McManus League Champs
1937 Texas League A1 89-69 2nd Bruce Connatser Lost in 1st round
1938 Texas League A1 86-75 4th Bruce Connatser Lost in 1st round
1939 Texas League A1 78-82 6th Bruce Connatser / Stanley Schino (interim in July)
1940 Texas League A1 76-82 5th Roy Johnson
1941 Texas League A1 86-66 2nd Roy Johnson Lost League Finals
1942 Texas League A1 76-75 6th Roy Johnson
1946 Texas League AA 84-69 4th Gus Mancuso Lost in 1st round
1947 Texas League AA 79-75 4th Gus Mancuso Lost in 1st round
1948 Texas League AA 93-63 2nd Al Vincent Lost League Finals
1949 Texas League AA 90-64 2nd Al Vincent League Champs
1950 Texas League AA 83-69 3rd Al Vincent Lost League Finals
1951 Texas League AA 67-94 7th Al Vincent
1952 Texas League AA 78-83 6th Joe Schultz
1953 Texas League AA 83-71 2nd Joe Schultz Lost League Finals
1954 Texas League AA 78-83 6th Joe Schultz
1955 Texas League AA 86-75 5th Dutch Meyer (7-17) / Joe Macko (3-0) / Hank Schenz (76-58)
1956 Texas League AA 77-77 4th Al Widmar Lost in 1st round
1957 Texas League AA 75-79 4th Al Widmar Lost in 1st round
1958 Texas League AA 71-81 7th Al Widmar (45-54) / Jim Fanning (26-27)
1959 Texas League AA 77-67 3rd Vern Benson Lost in 1st round
1960 Texas League AA 76-68 3rd Vern Benson League Champs
1961 Texas League AA 83-55 2nd Whitey Kurowski Lost in 1st round
1962 Texas League AA 77-63 2nd Whitey Kurowski League Champs
1963 Texas League AA 74-66 3rd Grover Resinger League Champs
1964 Texas League AA 79-61 2nd Grover Resinger Lost League Finals
1965 Texas League AA 81-60 1st Vern Rapp Lost League Finals
1966 Pacific Coast League AAA 85-62 1st Charlie Metro Lost League Finals
1967 Pacific Coast League AAA 65-79 11th Warren Spahn
1968 Pacific Coast League AAA 95-53 1st Warren Spahn League Champs
1969 American Association AAA 79-61 2nd Warren Spahn none
1970 American Association AAA 70-70 5th Warren Spahn
1971 American Association AAA 64-76 7th Warren Spahn (59-74) / Gary Geiger (5-2)
1972 American Association AAA 78-62 3rd Jack Krol
1973 American Association AAA 68-67 3rd Jack Krol League Champs
1974 American Association AAA 76-58 2nd Ken Boyer League Champs
1975 American Association AAA 73-63 3rd Ken Boyer
1976 American Association AAA 65-70 5th Ken Boyer

External Link[edit]

1932 Tulsa Oilers