Jean Geissinger

All-American Girls Professional Baseball League

Infielder
Center fielder

Born: June 25, 1934
Huntingdon, Pennsylvania

Died: June 8, 2014 (aged 79)
Kalamazoo, Michigan

Batted: Right

Threw: Right

Teams

Fort Wayne Daisies (1951–1952[start], 1953–1954)
Grand Rapids Chicks (1952[end])

Career highlights and awards

Two-time All-Star Team (1953–1954)
Two-time runs batted in leader (1953–1954)
Northeast Indiana Baseball Hall of Fame (2005)
Women in Baseball – AAGPBL Permanent Display
at Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum (1988)

Jean Louise Geissinger-Harding (June 25, 1934 – June 8, 2014) was an infielder and outfielder who played from 1951 through 1954 in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League with the Fort Wayne Daisies (1951-1952[start], 1953–1954) and the Grand Rapids Chicks (1952[end]). Listed at 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m), 120 lb (54.4 k), she batted and threw right-handed.

″Dutch″, as she was dubbed by teammates, was born in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania to Richard and Lillian (Fagan) Geissinger. She was a versatile ballplayer being able to play in an impeccable way at second base and in all three outfield positions, mainly at center field, serving also as an emergency relief pitcher. She has been considered as one of the top sluggers in AAGPBL history.

Geissinger led the AAGPBL hitters in runs batted in in 1953 (81) and 1954 (91), while finishing second for the batting crown with a .337 average in 1954. Besides, she was selected for the All-Star Team in both 1953 and 1954. In the 1953 contest, she finished it in style hitting a walk-off home run.

Though Geissinger played only four seasons, her .306 average ranks her third in the AAGPBL all-time list, being surpassed only by the sisters Joanne Weaver (.359) and Betty Weaver Foss (.342), while her 41 homers ranks her fourth behind Eleanor Callow (55), Wilma Briggs (43) and Dorothy Schroeder (42).

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