Giants coach Alyssa Nakken already had a jersey in the Baseball Hall of Fame, and now her helmet is headed to Cooperstown as well.
Nakken on Tuesday became the first woman in MLB history to coach on the field during a game. She coached first base for the Giants in the team’s 13-2 win over San Diego after Antoan Richardson was ejected during the third inning.
After the game, The Associated Press reported that her helmet was already on its way to the museum. But it wasn’t the first time the 31-year-old coach had made baseball history. In July 2020, Nakken coached on the field during an exhibition game — a first for female coaches in baseball.
.@SFGiants’ Alyssa Nakken becomes the first woman to coach on the field in an MLB game, taking over as first-base coach tonight. https://t.co/BSeKcJk3bQ pic.twitter.com/UkG33bbDqk
— MLB (@MLB) April 13, 2022
“I think we’re all inspirations doing everything that we do on a day-to-day basis and I think, yes, this carries a little bit more weight because of the visibility, obviously there’s a historical nature to it,” Nakken told reporters after the game. “But again, this is my job. … I stepped in to do what I’ve been hired to do, is support this staff and this team.”
She was in the batting cage when Richardson was ejected, so she quickly put on her No. 92 jersey, a bright orange helmet and ran onto the field. The fans at Oracle Park applauded her as she entered the coach’s box, and Padres first baseman Eric Hosmer shook her hand.
.@SFGiants’ Alyssa Nakken becomes the first woman to coach on the field in an MLB game, taking over as first-base coach tonight. https://t.co/BSeKcJk3bQ pic.twitter.com/UkG33bbDqk
— MLB (@MLB) April 13, 2022
Nakken, a former softball star at Sacramento State, normally works with the Giants’ outfielders and baserunners, where she watches games from the indoor batting cage near the dugout.
“So it’s not a foreign spot on the field for her. She does so many other things well that aren’t seen,” said Giants manager Gabe Kapler, who first hired Nakken in 2020. “So it’s nice to see her kind of be right there in the spotlight and do it on the field.”
She isn’t the only woman making history in baseball this season. Earlier this week, Rachel Balkovec became the first woman to manage a minor-league game when she led the New York Yankees’ Class A Tampa team to a victory in her first contest.
This article is based in part on wire service reports.
• Jacob Calvin Meyer can be reached at jmeyer@washingtontimes.com.
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