70-yr-old Yankees fan finally achieves 60-yr-old dream of serving as bat girl

• Gwen Goldman was 10 years old back in 1961 when she asked the New York Yankees if she could serve as their bat girl.
• She was rejected then, but she never bore them any ill will.
• Sixty years later, Gwen McLoughlin, now 70, got to fulfill her dream when she was invited to become an honorary bat girl for her favorite team.

Sixty years ago, 10-year-old Gwen Goldman wrote to the New York Yankees to ask if she could serve as their bat girl. She was rejected at the time, but she was simply happy that she received a response from her favorite team.

She even has the letter hung up on her living room wall!

Now at 70, Gwen McLoughlin got to fulfill her dream. She served as the Yankees’ bat girl on Monday when they hosted the Los Angeles Angels.

“It’s been an amazing opportunity,” she said. “I can’t put it into words. It was the thrill of a lifetime, times a million.”

The 1961 response letter from then-general manager Roy Hamey told Gwen at the time, “While we agree with you that girls are certainly as capable as boys, and no doubt would be an attractive addition on the playing field, I am sure you can understand that in a game dominated by men a young lady such as yourself would feel out of place in a dugout.”

Gwen’s daughter Abby recently forwarded that letter to the team, which got the attention of current general manager Brian Cashman. He sent out a more favorable response — he invited her to be their honorary bat girl!

60 years later, in a new letter to Gwen from the current Yankees GM, Brian Cashman invites her to Yankee Stadium to fulfill her dream. pic.twitter.com/FHZK3SIfe5— New York Yankees (@Yankees) June 25, 2021

Her presence was considered part of the Yankees’ annual HOPE Week, which showcases inspiring stories and people.

Cashman’s response letter, which he read out loud during a video call with her, stated: “Although your long-ago correspondence took place 60 years ago — six years before I was born — I feel compelled to resurrect your original request and do what I can to bring your childhood dream to life.”

“Here at the Yankees, we have championed to break down gender barriers in our industry… A woman belongs everywhere a man does, including the dugout,” the letter continued.

Cashman added, “That letter’s a long time coming. We have a chance to rewrite history here and show you, obviously, how times have changed.”

Gwen replied, “It is my honor and my dream and I can’t thank you enough for making this come true. I will be there.”

“Thank you for doing this for us women and for moving forward and opening the world up to the population,” she added.

She said, “You know when they say dreams come true? This is it.”

Gwen, who said Mickey Mantle was her favorite player growing up, added that she bore no ill will against the Yankees after receiving the previous letter.

She said, “I didn’t hold it against them. I love the Yankees. They wrote me a letter. It wasn’t what I wanted to see, but they wrote me a letter and I’ve always loved them and been a fan of theirs.”

Source: TODAY