While San Francisco Giants fans celebrated their team’s 13-2 home victory over the San Diego Padres on Tuesday night, a different kind of success occurred when Giants assistant coach Alyssa Nakken became the first woman in the big league baseball history to take over as first base coach.
Alyssa Nakken made history Tuesday night at Oracle Park in San Francisco by becoming the first woman to coach on the field during a Major League Baseball game.
“I didn’t know when or if that would happen, but I was willing to step in unless the team needed me to,” said Alyssa Nakken. Also added, “I believe that means a lot. So far, the season has gotten off to a great start.”
When Antoan Richardson was ejected from the San Francisco Giants’ game against the San Diego Padres in the bottom of the third inning, Nakken stepped in as the team’s first-base coach. The Giants won 13-2 over the Padres.
Nakken was brought in to replace Giant’s usual first-base coach Antoan Richardson, who was dismissed from the game in the top of the third inning.
It was a significant achievement for the coach, who was already the league’s first full-time female coach. Nakken was promoted to assistant coach in 2020 after working in the team’s front office.
This was also not Nakken’s first time at first base. She appeared in an exhibition game with the Giants in 2020, but this was her first time coaching during a regular-season game.
Nakken, who played first base for Sacramento State’s softball team, adds years of expertise to the position, making it a no-brainer for bench coach Kai Correa to call her up following Richardson’s dismissal. But for the Giants’ assistant coach, Tuesday night was simply another day at the job.
“I’ve been practicing as a first-base coach for the previous few years. I work with Antoan, and I completed the task for which I was hired.” According to MLB.com, Nakken commented.
Nakken obtained her master’s degree in sports management from the University of San Francisco after graduating from Sacramento State (USF). She began working with the Giants as an intern in 2014, supervising the organization’s health and wellness efforts.
Nakken’s historic moment occurred only a few days after Rachel Balkovec became the first woman to manage an MLB club when she took the field for the first time with the New York Yankees’ Class A Tampa Tarpons on Friday, guiding them to a 9-6 victory over the Lakeland Flying Tigers.
Despite her efforts to belittle the success, the players were not taken in by it. Eric Hosmer, the Padres’ first baseman, congratulated her. Giant’s catcher Curt Casali gave her a hearty embrace when she came to the bench.
And, for baseball, Tuesday night was a step forward in the league’s diversification efforts.
Nakken’s accomplishment comes only three months after the New York Yankees made history by hiring the minor leagues’ first female manager, Rachel Balkovec, who took over as manager of the Yankees’ Single-A team in Tampa last week.
For years, the MLB has worked to diversify its on-field and operations jobs by implementing programs including its diversity pipeline and a diversity fellowship program.
