Rachel Balkovec has been diligent and relentless in her rise through the Yankee ranks, and after securing her first win as the first-ever female manager on Friday night, she was finally able to smile and relive the unforgettable evening.
“I’ve never heard my name chanted like that,” Balkovec said after her Tampa Tarpons finished off a 9-6 win over the Lakeland Flying Tigers in their season opener. “It’s like, I see me sitting in the stands, 15 or 20 years ago, and so it’s just really cool. Especially for all those young female athletes that came out; it was just very cool that they’re here in this moment.
“And maybe they don’t even fully understand it right now, but I think in the future when they get into their professional careers and maybe hit some brick walls that they’ll hopefully reflect on this moment.”
Balkovec heard a loud applause from the thousands in attendance when she was introduced as the Tarpons manager before the game, heard her name chanted in the stands, and handed off her uniform to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
It will be enshrined in Cooperstown to commemorate the groundbreaking Balkovec, who made history on Friday after a decade in professional baseball, and has certainly made an impact on young female athletes searching for inspiration within the game.
“I'm definitely aware,” Balkovec said of her impact, via MLB.com. “Thankfully, I've had about 10 years to prepare for something like this. So, it's been ongoing throughout the years of all young women reaching out, overwhelmingly reaching out, girl dads reaching out.
“I'm definitely highly aware of it and it definitely drives my action, pretty much every day, honestly.”
As for those she is currently managing, they will hold onto Friday’s memory as tightly as their manager will.
“It was an honor to play in the game,” hyped Yankee prospect Jasson Dominguez said, via MLB Pipeline.
“I’ll never forget this day. Never.”
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
LISTEN on the Audacy App
Sign Up and Follow Audacy Sports
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram