 The Pelicans' name briefly resurfaced during the 1977 season when oilman A. Ray Smith moved his Triple-A Tulsa Oilers to New Orleans to play in the Superdome.Tony La Russa was a reserve infielder for the team, playing most of his games at 2nd base.After a single season, the team then moved to Springfield, Illinois, and were renamed the Redbirds.