Ponce de Leon Park, also known as Spiller Park or Spiller Field during 1924-1932, 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 at 650 Ponce de Leon Avenue, which was South of the park along its first base side. Up the slope to the east and northeast behind the outfield was a set of railroad tracks once belonging to 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, upon which in 1926 was built the hulking Sears Roebuck southeastern headquarters, now known as Ponce City Market.
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 Tell J. Spiller. It reverted to its original name in 1933. The seating capacity of the park was about 20,000.
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 fifty feet[2]. During exhibition games, Babe Ruth and Eddie Mathews both hit home runs that became stuck in the distant tree. In right field, the employees of the Colgate Baby Crib Mattress Company would enjoy games on the roof of the building. Colgate is still making crib mattresses in Atlanta today. Home run balls that flew over the tree often landed in the loading dock at Colgate.
After the Crackers moved to Atlanta Stadium in 1965, Ponce de Leon Park was demolished in favor of a shopping center. The famous magnolia tree is still standing at the edge of the shopping center.
The ballpark's name, like the street that the ballpark stood on, is pronounced the anglicized way by native Atlantans "Pohns duh LEE-awn", instead of the Spanish pronunciation, "Pohns deh leh-OHN".
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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]