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Alyssa Nakken

Alyssa Nakken
Nakken with the San Francisco Giants in 2022
Cleveland Guardians
Coach
Born: (1990-06-13) June 13, 1990 (age 34)
Woodland, California, U.S.
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Teams
As coach

Alyssa Michelle Nakken (born June 13, 1990) is an American professional baseball coach for the Cleveland Guardians of Major League Baseball (MLB). She is the first female full-time coach in MLB history, and the first to coach on the field during a major league game. In 2014 she was an analytical intern for the San Francisco Giants during the postseason, winning a World Series ring.[1][2] She attended California State University, Sacramento, where she played college softball.

Early life

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Nakken is from Woodland, California, and graduated from Woodland High School in 2008. In high school, Nakken played softball, basketball, and volleyball.[3][4]

She attended California State University, Sacramento, where she played college softball for the Sacramento State Hornets as a first baseman.[4][5] She had a .304 batting average and was named to the All-Pacific Coast Softball Conference all four years, from 2009 through 2012.[6] She was also a three-time all conference selection, and the 2012 conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year.[1] Nakken graduated with a bachelor's degree in psychology.[3]

Career

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San Francisco Giants

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Nakken joined the San Francisco Giants' baseball operations department as an intern in 2014. She worked for the team on health and wellness programs.[3][4] In 2015, she earned a master's degree in sports management from the University of San Francisco, where she also worked as the chief information officer for the baseball team.[4] The Giants promoted her to the major league coaching staff as an assistant coach in January 2020, making her the first full-time female coach in MLB history.[2]

On July 20, 2020, Nakken became the first woman to coach on the field in a major league baseball game, during exhibition play. Nakken was first base coach for the Giants' game against the Oakland Athletics. The Giants won 6–2.[1] Her jersey from the game was sent to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.[7] Nakken continued to coach in exhibition games in 2021.[8][9]

Nakken became the first woman to coach on the field in a regular season major league game on April 12, 2022, when the Giants substituted her into the game as the first base coach after Antoan Richardson was ejected during the top of the third inning of a game against the San Diego Padres.[10]

In 2023, Nakken was interviewed for a managerial position with the San Francisco Giants, making her the first woman to interview for any managerial position with a Major League Baseball team.[11][12]

Cleveland Guardians

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On November 23, 2024, Nakken joined the Cleveland Guardians as an assistant director for player development.[13]

Personal life

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Nakken is married to Robert Abel, who is also a coach at a baseball school that he founded in 2019.[14][15] Their first child was born January 2024, when Nakken became the first MLB coach to take maternity leave.[16]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Martin, Jill (July 21, 2020). "Alyssa Nakken made MLB history as the first woman to coach on the field during a major league game". cnn.com. CNN. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
  2. ^ a b Snyder, Matt (January 17, 2020). "San Francisco Giants hire Alyssa Nakken as first woman on MLB coaching staff". CBSSports.com. Retrieved January 18, 2020.
  3. ^ a b c Bretón, Marcos (January 17, 2020). "A first for MLB baseball: SF Giants hire female coach, a former Sac State star". SacBee.com. The Sacramento Bee. Retrieved July 24, 2020.
  4. ^ a b c d Crowley, Kerry (January 17, 2020). "SF Giants hire Woodland High grad Alyssa Nakken, MLB's first woman coach". Daily Democrat. Retrieved January 18, 2020.
  5. ^ Crowley, Kerry (January 16, 2020). "MLB's first woman coach: Giants hire Alyssa Nakken, former Sac State softball player". The Mercury News. Retrieved January 18, 2020.
  6. ^ "Former Sacramento State softball star Alyssa Nakken becomes first full-time female coach in MLB history". www.ncaa.com. NCAA. January 24, 2020. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
  7. ^ "Alyssa Nakken of San Francisco Giants makes history as first woman to coach in MLB". oregonlive. Associated Press. July 24, 2020. Retrieved July 24, 2020.
  8. ^ "Why Alyssa Nakken's theme for second Giants year is 'setting more direction' | RSN". Nbcsports.com. March 29, 2021. Retrieved April 13, 2022.
  9. ^ Ho, Soleil (November 23, 2021). "Why Giants' Gabe Kapler sees Alyssa Nakken as a possible future MLB manager". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved April 13, 2022.
  10. ^ The Athletic Staff (April 13, 2022). "Giants' Nakken first female coach in MLB game". The Athletic. Retrieved April 13, 2022.
  11. ^ Eisen, Jen Ramos (October 15, 2023). "Alyssa Nakken becomes first woman to interview for MLB manager job". Sports Illustrated San Francisco Giants News, Analysis and More.
  12. ^ Baggarly, Andrew (October 15, 2023). "Source: Alyssa Nakken formally interviews for Giants' managerial position". The Athletic. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  13. ^ "Alyssa Nakken joining Guardians after breakthrough with Giants". ESPN.com. Associated Press. November 22, 2024. Retrieved November 24, 2024.
  14. ^ "San Francisco CRABS". sfcrabs.com. Retrieved April 13, 2022.
  15. ^ Leung, Yasmine (April 13, 2022). "Alyssa Nakken's husband is the "2nd best coach in his household"". HITC. Retrieved April 13, 2022.
  16. ^ Slusser, Susan (April 11, 2024). "Giants' Alyssa Nakken 'trying to figure this out' as MLB coach/mom". San Francisco Chronicle.