Growing up in the 1940s & 50s, Jean Williamson’s world was stitched together by the rhythmic crack of a bat and the roar of distant crowds echoing over the radio. In an era when girls were gently nudged toward dolls and domesticity, Jean’s fascination with baseball formed on the porch with her father listening to Cleveland Indians games. Sitting beside her father as they listened to the broadcasts, Jean paid close attention, not just to the score, but to how the story of each game was told.
She loved the cadence of play-by-play commentary, the way statistics were woven into narratives and how a well-chosen phrase could make a distant game feel immediate and alive. Even as a child, Jean imagined herself one day writing about baseball, capturing its drama and meaning for others. Baseball to Jean, was both a game and a language…one that she longed to master on the page.
Jean’s love for the game started early. Her memories include shadowing her father’s love of the Cleveland Indians. While other children may have solely focused on the action itself, Jean also focused on patterns, player habits and turning points that decided the game. She mentally composed summaries of the plays imagining how she would describe the game if she were authoring an article. Yet she understood that becoming a sportswriter was not considered a realistic goal for a girl in her time. Journalism especially sports journalism was dominated by men and expectations for women followed far narrower paths.
Moving to the city
As she graduated from Bowling Green State University, Jean made the decision to move to Cleveland. To the chagrin of her mother Jean wanted to live in the city and broaden her horizons. This move would also mean that she would be in the city of Cleveland the home of her beloved Indians. Jean became a schoolteacher while her love for sports writing was strong the realities of the era shaped her decision. Teaching, unlike sports journalism was widely regarded as an appropriate profession for women. Becoming a teacher Jean was able to channel her passion for learning, communication, and storytelling into the classroom.
The love for her Cleveland Indians endured as Jean grew into adulthood. After living in Cleveland for a few years Jean would also find her husband John – who she called Jack. They had a family and they would raise their children to be fans of the Tribe as well. Jean was more of a fan than her husband however he did attend most of the games with her. For close to 15 years, they had a season package of games and sat in 309 mezzanine area.
When she became a mother, she naturally shared the game with her own children. She brought them to 20-30 games a season and recounted stories of her childhood heroes. As Jean was a teacher she had the summers off. This was perfect as she used this time to pack a bag of sandwiches, snacks, and drinks to take her kids to the ballpark. Through every inning, she nurtured in them an appreciation for the strategy, excitement, and camaraderie of the sport. Baseball was not just a pastime in her home it was a way for family to bond, celebrate triumphs, and learn resilience in defeat. Some families spent their summers going on vacation however the Williamsons went to Indians games.
Jean’s passion reaches the skipper
A favorite story that Jean tells is in regard to an Indians game in the mid 90’s Jason Grimsley was pitching and manager Mike Hargrove pulled Grimsley in the 7th inning. The Indians were ahead and the bullpen blew the game. Jean was unhappy. Her frustration with Hargrove for pulling Grimsley led her to write a “what the hell were you thinking” letter to the skipper.
Hargrove responded to Jean with an incredibly detailed letter stating that he normally didn’t respond to fans’ notes however her frustration led to his wanting to answer her questions. His letter explaining his decision to take Grimsley out of the game included great detail. He stated that around 80 pitches Grimsley would lose velocity on his pitches and that was his reasoning. Jean closely watched the pitch count during Grimsley’s next game and saw what the Indians’ coach was referring to.
Jean & Tom with Mike Hargrove
At the All-Star game in Cleveland during Play Ball fest her son Tom took her around to experience the festivities. Jean had won a door prize that allowed her to get an autograph from a random player. She actually ended up in line to meet Hargrove and get his autograph. Tom asked Hargrove if he recalled the letter from his mother and while he didn’t remember the specifics he looked disheartened and said ,“I hope she’s still not mad at me!” He went on to take photos with Tom and Jean while telling them he rarely responded to fan letters, so Jean was quite the exception.
Jean continues to stack memories
Jean and her husband enjoyed spending time in Winterhaven, Florida where the Indians would play their spring training games. She also went to Goodyear, Arizona to see the complex. Jean snuck onto the field to have her photo taken by homeplate. Sneaking onto the field epitomizes Jean’s kid like wonder and love for baseball…it also shows her feisty side!
Jean at Goodyear
Speaking of feisty, Jean and her husband would often attend the Greater Cleveland sports awards. One year she met Bob Feller, and she describes Feller as “full of himself” with added laughter.
Jean had many favorite players over the years. One that she absolutely loved was Lonnie Chisenhall. Jean’s birthday is July 13, and she often attends games as part of her birthday celebration. In 2013, she was at the Cleveland game against Kansas City for her birthday.
Chisenhall hit his first grand slam in the 9th inning giving victory to the Indians by a score of 5-3. Many years later Jean had a chance to meet Lonnie and Tom told him that he was his mother’s favorite player. Chisenhall didn’t recall that winning grand slam but was accommodating to Jean, conversed with her, and took photos.
Jean and Lonnie Chisenhall
A moment of honor and remembrance
Tom worked security for the Cleveland Browns and often filled in at the Jake. His brother-in-law Dan passed away few years ago. His sister had given Tom some of Dan’s ashes in the hopes that he could be spread on Jacob’s field. Tom saw an opportunity when Cleveland pitcher Shane Bieber was coming off the field pregame. Heading to the dugout out Tom called out “hey Biebs” to which Shane asked Tom if they had met. He replied to Shane, “no but I have an odd request” and went on to tell him of his sister’s wishes with Dan’s ashes. Shane said let me go see if I can get permission. Shortly, he came back out of the dugout and said, “come on you’re doing to do it.”
As Tom and Shane walked out to left field together Bieber asked if he had his phone so he could video tape the spreading of the ashes. Tom called his sister and told her what had happened. Jean was living with his sister at the time and Tom could hear her asking for all the details in the background. A week later Tom’s sister turned 57 and Bieber’s number with Cleveland was 57. That felt like a sign for the family whose life came full circle with the Cleveland baseball team.
For the love of the game
Though Jean never wrote from a press box, her passion for baseball never wavered. Jean’s story reflects the quiet compromises made by many women of her generation…dreams reshaped not by a lack of ability or ambition but by the boundaries society set for them. Though her young dream was to be a sportswriter Jean centered her life and family around the love of the Cleveland Indians. The feistiness she showed when penning the letter to Mike Hargrove is just one example of how unique Jean is.
Her determination, and the timeless joy that comes from loving a game that, for her, was so much more than just a pastime. She became a trailblazer not by seeking the spotlight, but by simply refusing to let go of a love that defined her from the earliest days under the summer sun. By passing this love on to her children, she ensured that the spirit of the game…and the lessons it taught …would continue to shape her family for generations to come. Jean will turn 90 this year and is planning to celebrate at the corner of Carnegie and Ontario.
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