Drillers pay tribute to music heritage with TulsaSound identity

The Double-A Tulsa Drillers will play four games this season as the TulsaSound in tribute to the unique style of blues music the city is known for.

The logo for the TulsaSound (one word when we’re talking about the baseball team) was created by Brandiose, and features a guitar, the Tulsa skyline, and a baseball-head character based loosely on Leon Russell, one of the early pioneers of the Tulsa Sound (two words when we’re talking about the musical style). The identity’s script “TulsaSound” includes a few hints at music: A capital S evokes a treble clef and a lower-case d reflects a quarter note.

The navy jerseys feature piano keys and a guitar with the TulsaSound script. Sleeve patches will highlight the baseball head logo and a Drillers “D” Tulsa flag-themed musical note. Uniform numbers on the back of the jersey feature the Tulsa skyline.

Per the team, “the unique Tulsa Sound featured a mix of blues, blues rock, country, rock & roll and swamp pop.” In addition to Leon Russell, the team identified early pioneers of the Tulsa Sound as, J.J. Cale, Roger Tillison, and Elvin Bishop, and highlighted the likes of Gus Hardin, Jeff Carson, and Eric Clapton as musicians who popularized the style.

The team will play four games as the Sound June 22-25, during the city’s 918 weekend. Drillers General Manager Mike Melega indicated that this would be the first in an annual series of temporary identities.

“Our annual 918 Weekend is a celebration of both and we are excited to introduce a new tradition in 2023 by creating a uniquely Tulsa identity each season to celebrate the city we call home with our amazing fans,” Melega said in a statement from the team. “We are thrilled to honor Tulsa’s rich music history by playing as the TulsaSound this June during 918 Weekend!”