The San Francisco Giants interviewed big-league assistant coach Alyssa Nakken this week for their vacant managerial post, according to Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic. As Baggarly notes, Nakken is believed to be the first woman to ever officially interview for a Major League Baseball managerial job.
Nakken, 33, has already served as a trailblazer in MLB history. She was the first woman ever named to a big-league coaching staff in 2020. In 2022, she became the first woman to serve as a base coach following an ejection. Nakken has been with the Giants organization for nearly a decade, serving in a variety of roles. Prior to that, she was a well-regarded collegiate softball player.
Nakken is one of several internal candidates the Giants have interviewed following their dismissal of Gabe Kapler late in the season. Earlier this week, it was reported that bench coach Kai Correa and third-base coach Mark Hallberg were also candidates for the position. Bullpen coach Craig Albernaz has been identified as another potential interviewee. (The Cleveland Guardians have also shown interest in Albernaz taking over for the retiring Terry Francona.)
The Giants fired Kapler on Sept. 29 after he failed to guide them to the playoffs for the third time in four seasons at the helm. Overall, Kapler won 54.3% of his regular-season contests with San Francisco. That percentage is skewed by a standout 107-win effort in 2021. Kapler otherwise had the Giants playing around .500 ball, give or take a game or two here and there.
Kapler was done no favors by media reports that suggested the Giants' clubhouse had lost focus thanks in part to his laidback nature. The Giants stormed out to a 49-41 start this season before collapsing in the second half with a 30-42 mark.
