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A woman got to relive her baseball glory days and it's basically the real-life A League Of Their Own. The foundation Wish of a Lifetime just granted former All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) star Mildred "Meach" Meacham the chance to spend a day talking all things baseball and it's a reminder that women can be just as passionate about sports as their male peers.
Now 92, Meacham played in the baseball league — which was the subject of the film A League Of Their Own — when she was in her 20s. She played for the Springfield Sallies in 1948 and later for the Fort Wayne Daisies and Racine Belles. When the program coordinator at Meacham's senior living center saw how she lit up when talking about her sports days, the coordinator wrote to the organization to make sure Meacham could have another day indulging in her passion.
Though Meacham — the second-oldest living player in the league — can no longer run the bases, she doesn't have to hit the field to talk sports. The organization brought Alex Fulmer, 17, the youngest player on Team U.S.A., to talk with Meacham. At their meeting, Fulmer presented Meacham with her own baseball bat. She was also honored with a special recognition from the AAGPBL.
It was the conversation between Fulmer and Meacham that really seemed to take Meacham back. The pair discussed things like how they got started in the sport (both played with their brothers), as well as their preference for baseball over softball. (Meacham told Fulmer she likes that the ball "goes faster" in baseball.)
Click through to see more photos from Meacham's return to baseball.
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Fulmer, who, in 2011, was the first girl to start a Little League Southeast Regional clinching game, presents Meacham with her very own Team USA jersey.
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Meacham receives a framed photo of a poster from an All-American Girls Professional Baseball League game.
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When asked what she loved most about playing baseball, Meacham said, “Everything on the field. From every blade of grass to every piece of dirt. I met so many people from around the world.”
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Here, an old photo shows the Springfield Sallies team — out of uniform, of course.
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The Springfield Sallies stand by their own emblazoned vehicle in this photo.
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Meacham stated that playing baseball in the league was "the greatest experience of [her] life."
Photo: Courtesy of Brookdale/Wish of a LifetimeClik here to view.
Fulmer's gift to Meacham was a baseball bat engraved with her name and her baseball nickname, Meach.
Photo: Courtesy of Brookdale/Wish of a LifetimeClik here to view.
A photo shows Meacham (third from the left) with her fellow teammates.
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When asked if Meacham "felt famous," she said no — she felt something better. "I felt like a part of history," she said.
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