Alyssa Nakken Becomes First Woman To Coach On-Field In MLB Game

Posted on by Sophie Robinson

San Francisco Giants’ Alyssa Nakken made history in Monday night’s game against Oakland Athletics as she became the first woman to coach on-field during an MLB game when she went in as the team’s first-base coach in their 6-2 win.

What We Know:

  • On Monday night, the San Francisco Giants played the Oakland Athletics in an exhibition game. Nakken, 30, replaced Antoan Richardson late in the game as the first base coach, becoming the first woman to coach on-field in any capacity during a game.

  • Nakken started with the Giants organization in 2014 as an intern in the baseball operations department. She joined the coaching staff in January and became the first woman in Major League Baseball to hold a full-time coaching position.
  • While Monday marks her first time coaching first base during an official team game, she coached the position during summer intrasquad games. In the offseason, she worked with Richardson in order to become familiar with the role and learn the tools in coaching outfield and baserunning instruction.
  • Nakken knows she is leading the way for other women in sports and admits she feels a “great sense of responsibility” to act as a good example. “I feel it’s my job to honor those who have helped me to where I am,” she told MLB.com in February. “Coaching, I never saw it. This job has kind of been hidden for so long. I’m so excited to be in this role for the challenge and the opportunity to make an impact on this organization that I love. But also, I’m excited that now girls can see there is a job on the field in baseball. It’s really cool.”
  • Nakken received an onslaught of support from Giants players after the team’s win, including outfielder Hunter Pence and infielder Mauricio Dubon. The A’s shared their appreciation for being a part of history as the opposing team during Nakken’s first on-field appearance. “Yeah, I think it’s great. It’s history-making, and we all noticed it,” said A’s manager Bob Melvin, who congratulated Nakken when they crossed paths during the first inning.

  • From 2009 to 2012, during her collegiate career at Sacramento State, Nakken was a four-time Academic All-American athlete and three-time all-conference softball player from. In 2015, she earned her master’s degree from the University of San Fransico in sports management before joining the Giants organization.

We look forward to following Nakken’s success in the MLB and the continued inspiration she provides to hundreds of thousands of girls across the country. The Giants’ next game is Thursday, July 23 against the L.A. Dodgers.

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