Ponce de Leon Park

For places with similar names, see Ponce de León (disambiguation) § Places.
Ponce de Leon Park
Poncey

Night game at Ponce de Leon Park
Location Atlanta, Georgia
Owner Georgia Railway and Electric
Capacity 6,800
Surface Grass
Construction
Broke ground 1907
Opened May 23, 1907
Construction cost $60,000

Ponce de Leon Park (local /pɑːns də ˈliː.ən/ PAHNSE-duh LEE-awn; Spanish: POHN-say deh leh-OHN), also known as Spiller Park or Spiller Field during 1924-1932, and "Poncey" to locals, was the primary home field for the minor league baseball team called the Atlanta Crackers for nearly six decades. The Crackers played here in the Southern Association (1907–1959) and the International League (1962–64). It was also home of the Atlanta Black Crackers who captured the second half championship of the Negro American League in 1938.[1]

The ballpark was located at 650 Ponce de Leon Avenue; the street ran along the south side of the park i.e. along its first base side. Behind right and center field, atop the slope bordering the park on the East, were the tracks of the Southern Railway, now part of the BeltLine, a trail and future transit ring around the central neighborhoods of Atlanta. Across the street was the Ponce de Leon Amusement Park until 1926, when the hulking Sears Roebuck Southeastern Headquarters, now known as Ponce City Market, was built.

The original ballpark on the site opened in 1907. The structure was destroyed by fire in 1923. It was rebuilt in 1924 and was named for club owner Rell J. Spiller. It reverted to its original name in 1933. The seating capacity of the park was about 20,000.

Magnolia tree at shopping center

The park was known for a magnolia tree in deep center field. Balls landing in the tree remained in play, until Earl Mann took over the team in 1947 and had the outfield wall moved in about 50 feet.[2] During exhibition games, Babe Ruth and Eddie Mathews both hit home runs that became stuck in the distant tree.

After the Crackers moved to Atlanta Stadium in 1965, Ponce de Leon Park was demolished in favor of a shopping center (now also demolished) and today a strip mall, Midtown Place, occupies the location. The famous magnolia tree is still standing at the rear of the shopping center along the BeltLine trail.

College football

College football games were also once hosted at Ponce de Leon Park. The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets played all their home games there from 1908 to 1911. The Georgia Bulldogs have also played games at 'Poncey.'

Other events

On July 1, 1940, the park hosted an exhibition fight[3] between a 45-year-old Jack Dempsey and wrestler Clarence (Cowboy) Luttrell which Dempsey won.

The park also hosted regular Friday night high school football games between Tech High Smithies and Boys' High Purple Hurricanes during the 1940s which sometimes outdrew the college games.[4]

References

  1. ↑ NLBPA Atlanta Black Crackers
  2. ↑ Tree stands as link to city's baseball roots, an April 25, 2003 article from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
  3. ↑ Aging Bull - Jack Dempsey's 1940 'comeback' was a sad and mercifully short spectacle, an April 17, 1995 article from Sports Illustrated
  4. ↑ Asher, Gene (July 2006). "The Ultimate Rivalry". Georgia Trend. Retrieved June 20, 2012.

Coordinates: 33°46′29.94″N 84°21′54.87″W / 33.7749833°N 84.3652417°W / 33.7749833; -84.3652417

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