On Monday night, Alyssa Nakken became the first woman to coach in an on-field role within Major League Baseball.
Nakken served as the first-base coach for the San Francisco Giants for a portion of the team’s exhibition game against the Oakland Athletics. Earlier this year, Nakken became the first woman to hold a full-time Major League coaching position in MLB history.
Alyssa Nakken, the first female coach in MLB history, is coaching first base for the @SFGiants 🙌
(via @NBCSGiants)pic.twitter.com/aprLq2UyTK
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) July 21, 2020
“Congratulations on making history!” Giants outfielder Hunter Pence tweeted after Monday’s game, his message accompanying a video of Nakken in the first-base coaching box.
Listed as a Major League Coach on the team’s coaching roster, Nakken joined manager Gabe Kapler’s staff in January after working within the Giants organization since 2014. According to reports earlier in the year, shortly after her addition to the coaching staff, Nakken’s coaching duties include working with everyday first-base coach Antoan Richardson on baserunning and outfield drills, and working with hitters in the cage to keep them loose and warmed up during games.
A former standout for the Sacramento State softball team, Nakken’s collegiate playing career spanned from 2009-12 and included a quartet of all-conference honors. She was a first-team all-conference selection as a senior, and finished her career with a .304 batting average; 19 home runs; 115 runs scored; and 83 RBIs.
