The New York Yankees just made this 70-year-old woman's life dream come true

The team is doing well on and off the field

70-year-old honorary bat girl Gwen Goldman reacts after delivering baseballs to home plate umpire Scott Barry #87 during the first inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Yankee Stadium on June 28, 2021 in the Bronx borough of New York City.
(Image credit: Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

Since Gwen Goldman was 10-years-old she had always wanted to be a bat girl for the New York Yankees baseball team. Well, 60 years later that dream finally became a reality.

The New York Yankees honored the 70-year-old with the opportunity to be a bat girl for the team during its 12th annual HOPE (Helping Others Persevere and Excel) Week, where the team aims to assist people in the community.

The sports team announced the new hire with a video on Twitter showcasing the moment for Gwen.

"A dream 60 years in the making. Yesterday, we kicked off #HOPEWeek by honoring Gwen Goldman as our honorary bat girl," according to a post.

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Back in 1961, after writing a letter to the then–general manager Roy Hamey expressing her interest in the position, Gwen was rejected based on her gender. To this day, the letter still hangs in her home reminding her of a goal yet to be achieved.

In the original correspondence, Roy claimed that since she was a female and would probably "be an attractive addition on the playing field," since baseball was considered a male-dominated sport she would only "feel out of place in a dugout."

Gwen's daughter Abby McLoughlin, took this as an opportunity to plead her mother's case again and was met with a positive response.

70-year-old honorary bat girl Gwen Goldman reacts after delivering baseballs to home plate umpire Scott Barry #87 during the first inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Yankee Stadium on June 28, 2021 in the Bronx borough of New York City.

(Image credit: Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

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The now-general manager of the NY Yankees, Brian Cashman, surprised the 70-year-old with a letter stating he was, "compelled to resurrect your original request and do what I can to bring your childhood dream to life."

At that moment, Gwen's dream was fully recognized and on June 28, she was given the title of honorary bat girl for the Yankee's game against the Los Angeles Angels. She was even given the honor of starting the game off with the ceremonial first pitch.

Gwen Goldman throwing out the ceremonial first pitch before the game between the Los Angeles Angels and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on Monday, June 28, 2021 in the Bronx borough of New York City.

(Image credit: Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

Gwen was all smiles as she delivered baseballs to the home plate umpire, Scott Barry, during the first inning of the game. 

With over 60-years passed since her initial rejection, times have changed and the barriers between genders have begun to break down, Brian added in his letter.

"We have championed to break down gender barriers in our industry. It is an ongoing commitment rooted in the belief that a woman belongs everywhere a man does, including the dugout," he wrote. 

While it has been six decades since she originally pleaded her case to the baseball team, Brian assured her that "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."

In an after-game interview done by MLB, the baseball fan shared how the experience has impacted her life, stating that fulfilling her dream was "a day of a lifetime."

"I can't put into words which was the best...Just the whole piece from walking in the front door of the stadium at gate two to coming up to a locker with my name on it...to suiting up and then walking out onto the field. It took my breath away, it's obviously taking my words away. It was a thrill of a lifetime," she said while holding her hands over her chest.

The NY Yankees prepared an entire day for her as a tribute to her lifelong passion for the game. It's moments like these that continue to show that age should never be a barrier between you and your dreams.

Rylee Johnston

Rylee is a U.S. news writer who previously worked for woman&home and My Imperfect Life covering lifestyle, celebrity, and fashion news. Before joining woman&home and My Imperfect Life, Rylee studied journalism at Hofstra University where she explored her interests in world politics and magazine writing. From there, she dabbled in freelance writing covering fashion and beauty e-commerce for outlets such as the TODAY show, American Spa Magazine, First for Women, and Woman’s World.