NORTH AUGUSTA — As music played over the stadium loudspeaker, an 18-month-old turned and swayed to the beat on the SRP Park concourse. She warily eyed Auggie the Augusta GreenJackets’ mascot, who was standing nearby, posing for photos.
She moved close to him, but changed her mind, reversing course and grinning in her retreat.
She repeated this a few times before the towering insect lowered himself and reached out his gloved hand to her. She wobbled close and this time placed her tiny hand into his for a brief moment before smiling and turning back to her waiting father.
Auggie then returned to posing for photos and interacting with fans at the game.
Being with the fans, especially the kids who are usually excited to see him, is a lot of fun for Auggie.
“It’s the best part – just interacting with them,” said Auggie.
A day at SRP Park for Auggie starts about an hour before the first pitch.
While he and his sidekick TD The Rally Turtle made their official entrance about 30 minutes before game time on the third base side of the field for the GreenJackets’ July 13 win over the Salem Red Sox, Auggie made a few surreptitious rounds to get what he calls the “vibe check” for the day.
Every game and every crowd is different, he said.
Then he headed to his dressing room and selected his jersey for the day and his shoes. There were no themed jerseys on Sunday. The Jackets wore their standard white jersey, so did Auggie.
There, he studied his work tasks inning by inning to have an idea of what to expect on the day.
Once outside, Auggie took the field while the players warmed up. He struck several poses while seeking to stir up the fan excitement prior to the start of the action. He wandered toward home plate and talked to a few fans who arrived early for the game.
Sunday was Dinosaur Day at the ballpark, and Auggie played around with a visiting T-Rex, who was one of three guests to throw out ceremonial first pitches. Despite having short arms, the T-Rex threw it across the plate.
Then it was time for the cue to play ball with a young fan saying the magic words.
Once the game starts mingling with the crowd is one of Auggie’s main tasks. He’s also there for the spotlight on a veteran and the in-between action side games such as a guessing game using oversized playing cards.
“We’re doing higher and lower. They play for lottery tickets,” he said of one of Sunday’s games.
He, TD and other staff held playing cards for a fan who had to decide if the card is higher or lower than the one displayed. The fan for Sunday’s game made it to the final card, correctly choosing high and low. She opted for higher with a jack displayed, but Auggie held a king.
With Sunday’s searing heat, Auggie and TD dashed back into the air-conditioned hallway a few times between innings for a water break, and they borrowed a small fan from the Kona Ice truck to stave off the temps.
While the North Augusta summers can be brutal, Auggie said he can handle the heat.
“It’s so much fun to be on the baseball field. It’s hot, but I would not trade it for anything,” he said.
Auggie said he feels his job is to make sure people have a great time at the ballpark.
“There’s always going to be someone’s first time. I want to leave the impression that I would want to have,” he said.
This week while the GreenJackets are on the road, Auggie is making a road trip to Atlanta for the All-Star game where he’s part of the mascot village.
After the season has ended, Auggie doesn’t burrow into a nest for the winter.
“I’m everywhere,” he said.
He makes appearances at schools and events such as parades, Walk for Water and the Augusta Half/10K/5K. He also regularly visits the Children’s Hospital of Georgia. That one can be tough because many of the children are so ill.
The GreenJackets are at Myrtle Beach this week, but they and Auggie will return July 29 to face the Carolina Mudcats. For ticket info, go here.
Charmain Z. Brackett, the publisher of Augusta Good News and Inspiring: Women of Augusta, has covered Augusta’s news for more than 35 years. She’s won multiple Georgia Press Association awards and is the recipient of the 2018 Greater Augusta Arts Council’s media award. Reach her at charmain@augustagoodnews.com. Sign up for the newsletter here.
Mike Adams is a veteran photographer who has won multiple South Carolina and Georgia Press Association Awards in his career including eight in 2024 for Augusta Good News. During his career, he’s photographed for several news outlets including The Augusta Chronicle and the Aiken Standard.
