Woodland native Alyssa Nakken is first woman to ever interview for MLB manager position
WOODLAND — A Woodland native and Sacramento State legend is breaking more barriers at the Major League Baseball level.
There are changes coming for the San Francisco Giants, and the team's assistant coach, Alyssa Nakken, may be in the running.
"She wants to be considered in whatever profession she works in. This is the profession she's in.
"She always wanted to trailblaze for women," Nakken's mother, Gayle, told CBS13 in 2022 when her daughter first got the job.
Now, Nakken may break more ground. She interviewed for the Giants' open manager position becoming the first woman to interview for such a role in baseball history.
Something that she told CBS13 in 2020 wasn't the first thing on her mind was "being female or being first. It was about adding value to the staff and the players."
But there's something not lost on her former coach.
"The Giants aren't going to consider her if she hasn't made an impression," said Lori Perez, Nakken's former coach at Sac State.
Perez, who has a 12-year-old daughter herself, sees what even an interview means.
"It's not just a momentum thing or something that sounds good," Perez said. "I think people are understanding that this a space where organizations like the Giants can be successful."
Perez believes that, eventually, Nakken will have the big gig in the MLB.
"I want to see her succeed in whatever she does," she said.
If hired, Nakken would be one of the youngest managers in the majors at 33 years old.