Screw the kitchen, we want the dugout

When it comes to the hiring process for professional sports teams, a woman’s presence is just starting to be seen.

We have seen some women on the sidelines in the NFL and even the 13 women in the NBA but never the MLB, until now. 

The San Francisco Giants hired Alyssa Nakken as an assistant coach to help collaboration for the team on and off the field under head coach Gabe Kapler. 

Nakken joined the Giants back in 2014 as an intern and worked her way up the ladder of the Giants’ baseball hierarchy. 

Before becoming part of the Giants team, she was a softball standout at Sacramento State University. The first baseman graduated in 2012 and was in the top 10 for most home runs scored in team history.
Kapler told ESPN, "Simply, I think she's going to be a great coach. Merit and the ability to be a great coach trumps all."

Nakken’s story is what we need to see in the MLB. Women have that knowledge and ability to coach in the MLB that managers are looking for. Heck, they have the ability to be managers themselves. 

If we trust men to coach fast-pitch softball, why can’t women coach baseball? Why can’t more women coach exclusively men’s professional sports like men do for professional women’s sports?  

There are currently eight male head coaches out of the 12 coaching in the WNBA. Why is it okay for men to be the majority but not women? 

To really make athletics equal, we need to see more women coaches in professional sports like the MLB. It is 2020 for goodness sake. How do we not have more women coaches in the MLB? The NBA is doing an adequate job compared to the rest,but that is not enough. 

There is nothing a woman cannot do on the baseball field. 

Plus, the MLB has so many different aspects to it that are versatile for both softball and baseball. Do you know how many female power-hitters there are? What about fielding; infield and outfield? Women are just as skilled in these aspects as men and could even coach pitching like how men do for fast-pitch. Nakken’s role in team collaboration is just a peek into what women can do for baseball. 

As a woman, I would like to see more women in the manager role in a variety of sports. Being an assistant coach is just a stepping stool to the next spot.  

Women are next in the line-up, and they are batting fourth.