Professional baseball in Augusta dates back to 1884, when the Augusta Browns were formed. The ballclub changed names and ownerships several times, being known as the Electricians, Tourists, and Tigers, to name a few. However, it wasn’t until 1954 that the first African-American player signed on with the ballclub, Leonard Hunt.
Hunt, a speedy outfielder who hit for a high average, was optioned to Augusta from the AA team in Dallas in June of 1954. He had spent the previous season with the Texarkana Tigers of the Class B Big State League, where he hit .313 and drove in 70 runs across 129 games. Hunt made his unofficial debut as a 3rd base coach on June 16th against the Columbia Reds, and his official playing debut the next day, June 17th, going 0-1 at the plate.
All told, Leonard Hunt appeared in 77 games for the Rams, hitting to a .325 average with 29 extra base hits and 39 RBI. He would eventually be reassigned to the Big State League, where he finished the 1954 season with the Tyler Tigers. Hunt would finish his recorded career with a pair of seasons in the Class C Northern League with the Aberdeen Pheasants in South Dakota before retiring. Upon his retirement, Hunt returned to his home of St. Louis, and became a schoolteacher.
The Augusta Rams existed for two seasons, 1953 and 1954, playing at Jennings Stadium in downtown Augusta. Following the ’54 season, the Augusta club were picked up as an affiliate of the Detroit Tigers, and changed their name back to the Augusta Tigers as it had been from 1936-1942 as well as 1946-1952.
