CLEVELAND — Born in 1934, Carolyn Leedy was destined to be a Cleveland Guardians fan.
Her grandson, Zach Rudy, said her love of baseball began when she would huddle around the radio with her brothers and sisters to listen to games. In 1942, she made it to the ballpark for the first time.
“Her and her dad hopped on the Greyhound bus out of Lodi,” Rudy said. “I think that’s where her love for the Tribe really started.”
From there, she was hooked.
Leedy and her sister never missed a home opener. Among her favorite players were Cleveland legends like Gaylord Perry.
“She was a giant fan,” Rudy said. “She had numerous autographs and photos with him and baseballs. She loved him a lot.”
Leedy's love for Cleveland baseball wasn’t limited to the regular season as she often made the trip to Spring Training.
“We used to go and visit and she was awesome at getting autographs,” Rudy said. “Right there in the mid-90s when they were really, really good, she used to be able to call over Omar or Kenny or Manny when they were young. So, that’s definitely a core memory for me is visiting her and going down there in the winter time and getting all the autographs at spring training.”
Moving into a continuing care community did not put a damper on Leedy's love for her Guardians. Through West View Healthy Living’s Dream on Resident Experience program, Leedy was able to have one more dream granted: A day of baseball. Hot dogs, popcorn and Slider were all included, in hopes of honoring one of the team’s most loyal fans.
“At that point in time we knew she wasn’t doing well and it just really made our whole family feel great that they recognized her in the Guardians Club,” Rudy said. “We thank them so much for doing that.”
While Carolyn passed away in July, Rudy said he believes she is still watching the Guardians and cheering them on through their playoff run.
“Oh, she’s up there looking down and rooting for them,” said Rudy. “That’s something she always wanted to see: A World Series come to the city. She’s definitely rooting for them."