“We never did, and still do not, envision ourselves as pioneers,” Cione said in a 2005 interview with the Bozeman Chronicle about the AAGPBL. “[A League of Their Own] made us pioneers. For us, it was an opportunity to play a sport we dearly love at the highest level. We would have done it for nothing.”

Jean Shirley Cione (b. June 23, 1928 in Rockford, IL, d. November 22, 2010 in Bozeman, MT) was born in Rockford, Illinois, about 90 miles northwest of Chicago. She was the eldest of two daughters born to John Cione, a machinist, and Viola (née Hasselquist), who worked in a beauty shop.

Jean played a decade in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League from 1945 to 1954. She was one of the very youngest of the pioneers who powered the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, the league that was immortalized by the 1992 movie “A League of Their Own.” Cione tried out for the league in 1945 after her junior year at East High and was offered a contract at the age of 17.

Originally a utility player, she was converted to a pitcher in 1947 and went 19-14 for the Rockford Peaches that year. The Rockford Peaches were the AAGPBL’s flagship franchise, winning four league titles in the league's 12 seasons. Nine women from Rockford ended up playing in the league, according to its player association records. Cione easily was the greatest of the group.

Her best year on the mound came in 1950 with the Kenosha Comets, when she went 18-10 and threw a pair of no-hitters. Her best season at the plate came in 1952 with the Battle Creek Belles, when she hit .275 with 17 doubles. Overall, she hit .224 over the course of 758 career games and was 75-65 with a 2.31 ERA in 169 appearances as a pitcher.

Among Cione’s career highlights were three no-hitters – a league record. She fired two of them in the same month with Kenosha in August 1950. She also completed a rare unassisted triple play while playing first base. She was named a league All-Star in 1952.

After her baseball days, Cione taught elementary school for a decade and then taught at Eastern Michigan University for more than 30 years becoming its first women’s athletic director.

Jean is a member of The Italian American Sports Hall of Fame in Chicago.

(excerpted from SABR, AAGPBL, Left This Year Blog, BR Bullpen & Wikipedia)