Tulsa softball tournament a success

Focus shifts to the Gay Softball World Series Tulsa, OK - Tulsa Metro Softball League (TMSL), a program of Oklahomans for Equality (OkEq), hosted their first tournament this past month. TMSL now has its eye on the 2012 Gay Softball World Series, this year being held in Minneapolis, MN August 12th-18th. The 2012 Tulsa Crude Classic, held last month, was the first gay softball tournament held in Tulsa in 25 years, and the first one put on by TMSL. Previously, it was thought that the last gay tournament in Tulsa was held in the mid 90s, but it was recently discovered that the last documented tournament was in 1987. “We had no idea until the week of this year’s tournament that it had been 25 years since the last tournament was held in Tulsa,” said Daniel Meier, Commissioner of TMSL. “I wish that we would have known before hand, we could have promoted that, but it’s still a great co-incidence.” TMSL played host to twelve teams representing gay leagues in Dallas, Houston, Oklahoma City, and Tulsa. The tournament games played at Carl Smith Sports Complex in east Tulsa with many fun social events at Tulsa LGBT bars. The tournament was deemed a great success with teams having a great time. The Dallas TX Outlaws, one of the teams participating in the tournament, had this to say about the event: “Your group (TMSL) put on a nice tournament, I [we] had fun and the people were friendly. Thank you!” Now with their first tournament under their belt, TMSL is concentrating on their second Gay Softball World Series in Minneapolis. Tulsa’s first appearance in the series was in 2011 when the Tulsa Crude attended and finished in the top ten for their division! It was the first time that Tulsa had been represented in the event’s 35 year history. In 2012, the series’ 36th year, Tulsa will have three teams in attendance: Oklahoma Stampede & T-Town Hit Crew in C division, and Tulsa Razors in D Division.

Trophy from first baseman Bud Jones. His team, the TWISTERS, won third place in the C League.