70-Year-Old Serves as Yankees Bat Girl, Was Denied 60 Years Ago
Gwen Goldman, a 70-year-old lifelong fan of the New York Yankees, served as honorary bat girl after being denied the opportunity 60 years ago because of her gender.
Per the Associated Press, “Goldman had been rejected by then-Yankees general manager Roy Hamey, who wrote her in a letter on June 23, 1961: ‘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 it is a game dominated by men a young lady such as yourself would feel out of place in a dugout.'”
Goldman’s dream of being a bat girl became a reality thanks to her daughter, Abby, who emailed the Yankees in the hopes of righting this wrong. Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman was eventually forwarded the email and wrote a letter to Goldman saying in part, “…“it is not too late to reward and recognize the ambition you showed in writing that letter to us as a 10-year-old girl. Some dreams take longer than they should to be realized, but a goal attained should not dim with the passage of time. On behalf of our entire organization, it would be my great honor for you to join us for our game on Monday, June 28 vs. the Los Angeles Angels to serve as our honorary bat girl for the day.”
Goldman got the first-class treatment while at Yankee Stadium yesterday saying, “I don’t know where to start, of which was the best, what did I enjoy the most? The whole piece, from walking in the front door of the stadium at Gate 2, to coming up to a locker with my name on it that said Gwen Goldman, and suiting up, then walking out onto the field. It took my breath away. It’s obviously taking my words away also.”
She added, “It was a thrill of a lifetime — times a million. And I actually got to be out in the dugout, too. I threw out a ball, I met the players. Yeah, it goes on and on. They had set up a day for me that is something that I never would have expected.”
