Don Wakamatsu

Lore & Background

Wakamatsu was drafted in the 11th round of the 1985 MLB draft by the Cincinnati Reds. He reached the majors only with the Chicago White Sox in 1991, playing 18 games as a backup catcher. He later managed the Mariners, becoming the first Asian-American manager in MLB history. He also served as bench coach for the Texas Rangers, Toronto Blue Jays, Kansas City Royals, and Oakland Athletics, and as interim manager for the Rangers in 2018. He is currently the executive vice president of baseball operations with the Oakland Ballers.

In Their Own Story

The rain fell softly on the turf of Safeco Field as Don Wakamatsu stood in the dugout, his cap pulled low against the gray Seattle sky. It was a different kind of pressure than he felt in the outfield in '81; now, he held the fate of a season in his hands. He looked out at the diamond, remembering the days when he ran the bases here as a young player chasing dreams, and now, decades later, he was guiding others through the same rain-soaked challenges.

Reader's Guide

Wakamatsu was a three-sport star at Hayward High School in California and an All-Pac-10 catcher at Arizona State University. He was drafted by the New York Yankees in 1984 but returned to ASU. He played minor league baseball for several organizations before his playing career ended at age 33. He began his coaching career in the Arizona Diamondbacks system and later managed in the minors before joining the Texas Rangers as bench coach in 2003.

Did You Know?

• Wakamatsu is the first Asian-American manager in Major League Baseball history.
• He was born in Hood River, Oregon, and is fourth-generation Japanese American.
• His father was born in the Tule Lake War Relocation Center, a Japanese American internment camp.
• Wakamatsu was ejected twice in a single game in 2015 while acting as manager for the Kansas City Royals.