By Jennifer Roback
Alyssa Nakken, 31, is known for her career in Major League Baseball as the assistant coach for the San Francisco Giants, but on April 12, 2022, she become known as the first woman to coach on the field during a major league game.
The historic moment came after first base coach Antoan Richardson was ejected during the Giants' 13-2 win over the San Diego Padres following a dispute with Padres third-base coach Mike Shildt.
"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 said after the game, via ESPN. "But again, this is my job."
When the former Sacramento State softball player entered the field, she was greeted with an ovation from the Oracle Park attendees and also received a congratulatory handshake from Padres' first baseman Eric Hosmer, ESPN reports.
"Right now in this moment as I reflect back, I reflect back to somebody needed to go out, we needed a coach to coach first base, our first-base coach got thrown out. I've been in training as a first-base coach for the last few years and work alongside Antoan, so I stepped in to what I've been hired to do, is support this staff and this team," Nakken said.
This was also not the first time that 31-year-old has made history with the Giants. In January 2020, she became the first woman to coach in the big leagues after she accepted the position.
That year, her Opening Day jersey was sent to the Cooperstown Hall of Fame, and her helmet from the Padres game will soon join the collection, which many hope will continue to grow.
"It's not just women -- young men, men, young girls, women, everybody can just see that there are a lot of opportunities in baseball. I think we always limit ourselves to thinking what we could do, at least that's my experience. I never thought that I could do something like this because I never saw it," Nakken said, via NBC Sports.
"Sure, it's certainly important for people to be able to see that this is an opportunity and they can see somebody that kind of looks like them going out there and coaching in the big leagues."
Nakken's historic moment came just days after Rachel Balkovec, 34, made her managerial debut with the Yankees’ Single-A affiliate in Tampa after she became the first full-time female manager of an affiliated baseball team earlier this year.