SAN FRANCISCO – Alyssa Nakken made history in 2020 when she became the first woman to be named to the Major League Baseball coaching staff. Now she is making history again.
She is believed to have been the first woman to officially apply for a managerial position in the major leagues.
Nakken was among the San Francisco Giants’ internal candidates for a formal first-round interview last week, The Athletic has confirmed. Nakken joined backup coach Kai Correa and third base coach Mark Hallberg as members of the current coaching staff initially considered as a replacement for Gabe Kapler, who was relieved of his duties on September 29 and has one year left was in his contract.
The 33-year-old Nakken is among the 13 coaches Kapler selected when assembling his staff ahead of the 2020 season. She has served as an assistant coach for the past four seasons, focusing on baserunning, outfield instruction and game preparation. She was considered a crucial contributor as a liaison to pinch-hitters in 2021, as the Giants won a franchise-record 107 games while also setting a major league record for pinch-hitting appearances (as well as a record 18 pinch-hitting appearances). -stakes). hitting home runs). On April 12, 2022, Nakken became the first woman to coach on the field in a major league game, taking over the first base coaching position in the third inning against the San Diego Padres after an umpire called first base coach Antoan Richardson had been sent off.
A former all-conference softball player at Sacramento State, Nakken first joined the Giants in 2014 as a baseball operations intern and, before Kapler’s invitation, transitioned to a hybrid role in the front office, handling event logistics, business development and coordinating health and safety Wellness initiatives included her joining his coaching staff.
Kapler had also interviewed Rachel Balkovec, a hitting coach in the New York Yankees system, for Nakken’s role. Balkovec remained with the Yankees and just completed her second season as manager of the organization’s Low-A Tampa Tarpons affiliate. Ronnie Gajownik, a former standout softball player for the University of South Florida and the U.S. women’s national baseball team, just completed her first season as manager of the High-A Hillsboro Hops in the Arizona Diamondbacks organization.
And Kim Ng, the first female GM in major league history, made sweeping changes in her third season with the Miami Marlins that helped the club to its first full-season playoff appearance since 2003.
Nakken declined to comment from the Giants, but has said in the past that her career goals include staying in uniform, continuing to develop as a coach — and working her way up the career ladder.
“At this point, my interests are focused on manager and/or reserve coach positions,” Nakken said after completing her first season in 2020.
In the same interview, Nakken said that she felt no different than the other coaches on Kapler’s team in her first season. She returned to the same mental baseline every time she felt fear.
“Look left and right every day and ask, ‘How can I help?’ That’s what I did,” Nakken said. “It eased the anxiety because I knew I could control it. I can’t control how someone else feels, but I can control how I react to someone. I can control how consistently I control my emotions through the ups and downs of a season. That’s why I never felt different from the other coaches. I didn’t feel like the guys would treat me any differently. My attitude was that I respect these guys and if it takes them a while to get to me, that’s okay. I have patience.”
Nakken continued to receive consistent praise from players in subsequent seasons.
“Alyssa has a problem-solving perspective that has not been influenced by years in professional baseball,” Kapler said when asked about Nakken after the 2020 season. “To be honest, she’s great with people. She calms people down so they can open up and gives her tools to help people solve problems.”
These people skills and qualities reflect what Giants president Farhan Zaidi outlined last month when describing the ideal managerial candidate.
“We want someone who can be an effective recruiter,” Zaidi said. “Like any organization, we want to build a brand of players who want to come here and I think the manager is a big part of that.”
Nakken is currently engaged in player acquisition of a different kind. Her husband Robert Abel announced on social media in August that the couple is expecting their first child in February. Nakken told the San Francisco Chronicle in August that she took a two-week break from the team during her first trimester when morning sickness became particularly acute. However, she returned to full duties for the remainder of the season with minor changes, such as remaining behind screens when working on the field.
Baby Nak is on the way!
🐣🤰
Due February 9th!#GirlDad pic.twitter.com/aT0B5ySkR2— Robert A. Nakken (@CoachRobertabel) August 14, 2023
“I am grateful for some incredible women in my life who have families and have been able to continue to stay true to who they are and what they want to do, while also accepting and appreciating the natural changes that come with motherhood and raising a family .” Nakken told the Chronicle. “I don’t think what I do should be exactly what every coach who comes into this field does. But it’s so important to work with and for an organization and with leadership that is ultimately so supportive, and you truly believe that with every part of your being.
“It helps not to think too much or plan too much or say, ‘Okay, I have to get this done and be back by this date.’ We have coaches who have kids and they’ll be back in three days. I just won’t be able to do it physically.”
Or can she? Apparently, the Giants’ top decision-makers value Nakken enough that they’re willing to pop the question.
The Giants were expected to expand their search to outside candidates this week, although at least one name under consideration — former Giants hitting coach and current Texas Rangers offensive coordinator Donnie Ecker — remains involved in postseason play. Zaidi said his goal is to have a manager in place before free agency begins the first week of November.
(Photo by Nakken: Darren Yamashita / USA Today)