Even though he only played one season with the Augusta Rams, Leonard Hunt’s legacy will always live on for breaking the color barrier in Augusta area baseball.
“Leonard Hunt deserves the credit for being a pioneer,” local baseball historian Lamar Garrard said. "The GreenJackets are doing a wonderful thing for baseball."
On April 20, the Augusta GreenJackets will honor Hunt and the team he played for, the Augusta Rams, by wearing white and blue Augusta Rams jerseys.
Hunt joined the Augusta Rams in 1954, which was then an all-white team and made his debut as an outfielder against the Columbia Reds on June 16. Hunt appeared in all of the Rams' 77 games for the 1954 season.
“Augusta just has a tremendous baseball history,” Garrard said.
The event is also a partnership with Lifelink Georgia and part of minor league baseball’s The Nine, which was launched in 2022 as a community-focused outreach platform to honor and celebrate the historic impact of Black baseball players. The Nine also provides opportunities for youth to play baseball.
Also during the same night, the GreenJackets will be selling Augusta Rams jerseys and the proceeds of the sale will go to Paine College’s baseball team.
“This night will take a look back at the history of baseball, Leonard’s Hunt’s story and the legacy the Negro Leagues had across the country.” stated GreenJackets Vice President Tom Denlinger. “We look forward to celebrating the Augusta Rams and hope you’ll join us for this exciting night while also supporting Paine College baseball.”
The Augusta Rams only had two seasons in Augusta: 1953 and 1954 and played games at Jennings Stadium. The team became the Tigers again after the end of the 1954 season. The team was called the Tigers from1936-1942 and from 1946-1952.
The Augusta team has also been called Electricians and Tourists.
Hunt was only with the Rams for one season before playing in Tyler, Texas. He would finish his career in Class C Northern League with the Aberdeen Pheasants in South Dakota before retiring. Hunt returned to St. Louis and became a school teacher.
Garrard said Hunt was a good player for the Rams team at that time and had felt like Hunt had a lot more to offer in baseball.
“Leonard Hunt was the best Augusta hitter in that decade,” Garrard quoted from a sports writer at that time.
Garrard said Hunt was breaking the color barrier because before that time Blacks only played in the Negro Leagues. He said a lot of players came from the Negro Leagues before making the majors like Satchel Paige and many others.
“They were worthy to be and should be Major Leaguers,” he said. “I am happy to participate in the history of it and being able to look back and say hey that was a good thing then and it’s a good thing now.”
Garrard said he hopes that people learn more about the history of Black baseball players and how Hunt was part of that.
“We are talking about a very incredible individual that probably just because of the circumstances of the day and being an African-American at that time and maybe not being the greatest player, but a very good player who never got a chance,” he said.
Jerseys for the event can be purchased by greenjacketsbaseball.com and at the Hive Pro Shop on game day.
