Atlanta Crackers

• Location: Atlanta, GA
• League: Southern Association 1895-1896; Southeastern League 1897; Southern Association 1903-1961; International League 1962-1965
• Affiliation: Boston Braves 1950-1952; Milwaukee Braves 1953-1959; Los Angeles Dodgers 1960-1961; St. Louis Cardinals 1962-1963; Minnesota Twins 1964; Milwaukee Braves 1965
• Ballpark: Athletic Grounds 1894-1895; Brisbane Park 1896; Ponce de Leon Park 1906-1964; Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium 1965

The Atlanta Crackers first played in the Southern League in 1895 and 1896. The name harkened back to the Atlanta Firecrackers of 1892. The team played in Athletic Grounds the first year and Brisbane Park the second.

The Atlanta Crackers ran almost through the entire lifespan of the Southern Association, from 1903 through 1961. The Atlanta Firemen had played in 1902. The Atlanta Crackers also played in the International League from 1962 to 1965, until the Milwaukee Braves relocated to Atlanta. The Crackers then moved to Richmond, Virginia and changed their name to the Braves, where they played as the Atlanta Braves' AAA team through 2008. Beginning in 2009, the franchise returned to Georgia as the Gwinnett Braves, who play at Coolray Field in Lawrenceville, GA.

The Crackers played in Ponce de Leon Park from in 1907, when it opened, until 1964. They played the fastest game in organized baseball history - at the time - on September 17, 1910, losing 2-1 at home to the Mobile Sea Gulls in 32 minutes; that record was eclipsed in 1916 in a North Carolina State League game played in Asheville, NC.

Year-by-Year record

Year	Record	Finish	Manager	Playoffs	Notes
1895	70-37	1st	Jimmy Knowles	none League Champs
1896	36-36	--	Jimmy Knowles		Team disbanded August 11
1897	19-10	2nd	John Sheridan
1903	59-59	4th	Abner Powell	none
1904	78-57	2nd	Abner Powell	none
1905	71-60	3rd	Otto Jordan	none
1906	80-56	3rd	William A. Smith	none
1907	78-54	1st	William A. Smith	none League Champs
1908	63-72	6th	William A. Smith	none
1909	87-49	1st	William A. Smith	none League Champs
1910	75-63	3rd	Otto Jordan	none
1911	54-84	8th	Otto Jordan	none
1912	54-83	8th	Charlie Hemphill (35-46) / Charles "Whitey" Alperman (19-37)	none
1913	81-56	1st	William A. Smith	none League Champs
1914	78-66	4th	William A. Smith	none
1915	74-79	5th	William A. Smith	none
1916	70-67	5th	Charlie Frank	none
1917	98-56	1st	Charlie Frank	none League Champs
1918	18-49	8th	Charlie Frank	League suspended operations June 28
1919	85-83	1st	Charlie Frank	none League Champs
1920	85-62	3rd	Dick Kauffman	none
1921	73-78	5th	Charlie Frank	none
1922	55-97	8th	Roy Ellam (9-17) / Bill Rariden (27-35) / Albert "Dutch" Bernsen (28-62)	none
1923	78-73	4th	Otto Miller	none
1924	99-54	2nd	Bert Niehoff	none
1925	87-67	1st	Bert Niehoff	none League Champs
1926	78-76	5th	Bert Niehoff	none
1927	70-81	5th	Bert Niehoff	none
1928	66-87	7th	Bert Niehoff	none
1929	78-75	5th	Wilbur Good	none
1930	84-69	4th	Johnny Dobbs	none
1931	78-76	6th	Johnny Dobbs	none
1932	62-90	7th	David "Red" Barron	none
1933	62-86	7th	Charley Moore (54-68) / Wilbert Robinson (8-18)
1934	77-74	4th	Spencer Abbott (68-73) / Eddie Moore (9-1)
1935	91-60	1st	Eddie Moore	League Champs
1936	94-59	1st	Eddie Moore	Lost in 1st round
1937	84-66	3rd (t)	Eddie Moore	Lost League Finals
1938	91-62	1st	Paul Richards	League Champs
1939	83-67	4th	Paul Richards	Lost League Finals
1940	93-58	2nd	Paul Richards	Lost League Finals
1941	99-55	1st	Paul Richards	Lost League Finals
1942	76-78	5th	Paul Richards
1943	60-79	7th	Al Leitz (32-34) / Harry Hughes (28-45)
1944	86-53	1st	Kiki Cuyler
1945	94-46	1st	Kiki Cuyler	Lost in 1st round
1946	96-58	1st	Kiki Cuyler	League Champs
1947	73-78	5th	Kiki Cuyler
1948	69-85	6th	Kiki Cuyler
1949	71-82	5th	Cliff Dapper
1950	92-59	1st	Dixie Walker	Lost League Finals
1951	76-78	6th	Dixie Walker (38-39) / Whit Wyatt (12-18) / Dixie Walker (26-21)
1952	82-72	2nd	Dixie Walker	Lost in 1st round
1953	84-70	3rd	Gene Mauch	Lost in 1st round
1954	94-60	1st	Whit Wyatt	League Champs
1955	70-84	7th	George McQuinn (49-49) / Marv Rackley (3-2) / Clyde King (18-33)
1956	89-65	1st	Clyde King	League Champs
1957	87-67	1st	Buddy Bates	League Champs
1958	84-70	3rd	Buddy Bates	Lost in 1st round
1959	56-96	8th	Buddy Bates (29-52) / Bob Montag (27-44)
1960	87-67	1st	Rube Walker	none League Champs
1961	77-74	4th	Rube Walker	none
1962	83-71	3rd	Joe Schultz	League Champs
1963	85-68	2nd	Harry Walker	Lost League Finals
1964	55-93	8th	Jack McKeon (19-42) / Pete Appleton (36-51)
1965	83-64	2nd	Bill Adair	Lost in 1st round

Further Reading

• Ken Fenster: "The 1954 Dixie Series", in Baseball in the Peach State, The National Pastime, SABR, Volume 40 (2010), pp. 72-82.
• Ken Fenster: "It's Not Fiction: The Race to Host the 1954 Southern Association All-Star Game", The Baseball Research Journal, SABR, Vol. 39, Number 2 (Fall 2010), pp. 90-94.* Norman L. Macht: "Memories of a Minor-League Traveler", in Baseball in the Peach State, The National Pastime, SABR, Volume 40 (2010), pp. 62-67.
• Wynn Montgomery: "That Was Quick !", in Ken Fenster and Wynn Montgomery, eds: Baseball in the Peach State, The National Pastime, SABR, Volume 40 (2010), pp. 59-61.
• Lyle Spatz: "Three Georgia-Born Former Dodgers Lead the Crackers to a Pennant", in Ken Fenster and Wynn Montgomery, eds: Baseball in the Peach State, The National Pastime, SABR, Volume 40 (2010), pp. 69-71.