There was something different about One OK field Sunday afternoon. Maybe it was the inordinate amount of security, maybe it was that TCSO stood for Tulsa County Sheriff's Office, and that Stripes stood for the kind you get behind bars.
"It's kind of surreal," said Velvet Buchanan, watching her husband Gary play third base for the inmates. What led him here?
"Drugs, but what they arrested him for was contempt of child support," she said.
Meanwhile, sitting behind the opposing dugout...
"Right now he's in prisoner transport," said Sabine Lovett, who was a bit apprehensive about what the dynamics would be between fans.
"You know, what if we run into them in the bathroom, are they gonna be mad at us cause we're cops wives?" she asked.
But people got along as smoothly as a slide into home plate. And for a few hours at least it was like, I don't know, how would you put it...
"That they're both on some playing field that's the same. that's good writing, can I use that?" laughed Velvet.
"At the jail we don't allow kids 14 and under in," said Chief Deputy Michelle Robinette. She runs the jail and orchestrated all of this primarily for what happened after the game. For moments of hope and hugs.
"It's for the kids because they need to see mom and dad having fun, being productive, and yeah, they might be in jail, and they may be paying a penalty for something that they did, but they can be productive doing it," she said.
A bittersweet day at the ballpark.
"It's not something you ever say hey, when I grow up I'm gonna go see my Dad's baseball game when he's in jail, but..." said Velvet.
But, if you do, it's nice to know you've got friends you haven't met yet on the other side of the field.
"I don't think that we should treat people who have been in jail and who have done bad things different in our society, I think we need to embrace that they did their time and they're just trying to move on like everybody else," said Sabine.
