Classic Tulsa Drillers Mascot Making Return For 2023 Season

There's just over a week left until the Drillers season begins and a familiar face is making an appearance.

The baseball icon from the 50s is making a comeback just in time for the start of this year's season.

Meet Oily the Oiler, the character with a baseball head and oil rig nose started representing the Tulsa Oilers baseball team in 1952.

Tulsa Drillers Assistant General Manager Justin Gorski said Oily is symbolic to tradition.

"When baseball started here in the 50s, it was the Tulsa Oilers all the way until we became the Drillers in 77. Again, it's teaching that history, you know, baseball was here professionally before statehood was, which is crazy to believe,” Gorski said.

Gorski said longtime fans have been asking for years for Oily's return. Now he's featured on new merchandise.

The team's home jerseys will feature a patch on their sleeves, and he'll also be on a new hat for the field.

T-shirts and hats with the Oily logo are available for fans to buy online or in store.

"It's nostalgic. It really is. There's a lot of traditionalists, a lot of fans that were asking for it and we've kept him majority the same. We did change from the black look that he had to a navy blue to tie into our color scheme,” Gorski said.

Gorski said Hornsby's not going anywhere and Oily is a fun addition to bring back a piece of history.

For now, he's only a logo, but Gorski said a character might come along in the future.

The Drillers season kicks off next Thursday.