Mariners name Wakamatsu to Manager spot

Wakamatsu named Mariners manager
Former A's bench coach becomes first Asian-American skipper in bigs



SEATTLE -- Don Wakamatsu is just about ready to don his cap as the new Seattle Mariners manager, and he'll be celebrating a pair of firsts in the process.
Wakamatsu's hiring, which will be announced today in a press conference at 1:30 p.m. PT at Safeco Field, marks the first major move in the career of new general manager Jack Zduriencik.

And Wakamatsu, the 45-year-old baseball lifer who served as the Oakland A's bench coach in 2008, is the first Asian-American manager in Major League history.

"This is something I've looked forward to for a long time," said Wakamatsu, who becomes the 14th full-time manager in Mariners history and will wear uniform No. 16 in Seattle. "It is a tremendous opportunity and I can't wait to get going with Jack and his group as we start working on the 2009 team."

For Zduriencik, who has been tasked with getting the once-powerful Seattle ballclub back to its winning ways after a 101-defeat season, Wakamatsu is the right man to steer the ship.

"When I started this process, there were some key attributes we were looking for," Zduriencik said. "We wanted energy, a passion and the skills to translate that passion to the players. We wanted leadership, a presence that could help us as we define the 'Mariners Way' to win. We wanted someone that both the community and the players could embrace. We wanted someone who sees the big picture and cares about the players and wants to win. Don embodies all of those traits."

Wakamatsu, a former big league catcher who played in 18 games for the 1991 White Sox, earned the job over six other candidates: Boston Red Sox bench coach Brad Mills and third-base coach DeMarlo Hale; Arizona Diamondbacks third-base coach Chip Hale; St. Louis Cardinals third-base coach Jose Oquendo; Chicago White Sox bench coach and former Mariners infielder Joey Cora, and Randy Ready, the manager of Portland, the San Diego Padres' affiliate in Triple-A.

He brings to Seattle the experience of coaching in the American League West for the last six years. Prior to his stint in Oakland last year, he coached with the Texas Rangers from 2003-07, spending four seasons (2003-06) as bench coach for Buck Showalter. Wakamatsu interviewed for the Rangers' managerial opening in 2006, losing out to former A's third-base coach Ron Washington, and spent the 2007 season coaching third base in Texas under Washington.


Wakamatsu also managed for four seasons in the Minors, including being named California League Manager of the Year in 1998 with High Desert. Wakamatsu joined the Angels farm system as the manager at Double-A Erie in the Eastern League in 2000. That followed three years (1997-99) as a manager in the Arizona Diamondbacks system. His 1999 El Paso club featured several future Major Leaguers, including Rod Barajas, Erubiel Durazo, Junior Spivey, Brad Penny and John Patterson. He led the High-A High Desert Mavericks to the Cal League playoffs in 1998, posting a 44-26 mark in the second half on his way to being named the league's Manager of the Year. Don started his managing career with Rookie League Peoria in the Arizona Summer League in 1997.

Wakamatsu's playing career included 12 years, spread among seven organizations, from 1985-1996. He closed out his playing career as a player/coach with Seattle's Double-A Port City affiliate in 1996. He also played one game with Triple-A Tacoma that year. He had also served as a player/coach with Canton-Akron in the Cleveland farm system in 1995 after starting the season with nine games in Tacoma.

Wakamatsu also caught for four seasons at Arizona State University, and was named All-Pac-10 his final three seasons. He was the Sun Devils' team captain his senior year (1985) and was drafted that June by the Cincinnati Reds.

Wakamatsu is well-respected throughout the game for his preparation, something that didn't go unnoticed in Oakland last year.

"Wak's a really impressive guy, as a person and as a baseball man," A's third baseman Eric Chavez told MLB.com. "Whenever you talk to him, you get the sense that he really knows everything about the game and what goes on inside the game."

Wakamatsu takes over the reins of a team that finished last in the AL West in 2008. But he knows the Mariners' personnel from his time in the division and says he believes the team has talent and potential.

"Anyone can come in here and say you're going to win right away, but you have to be realistic to the situation," Wakamatsu said after interviewing for the job. "There's still a lot of work to be done this winter."

Wakamatsu and his wife, Laura, have three children: Jacob, Lucas and Jadyn. The Hood River, Ore., native currently resides in North Richland Hills, Texas.

Doug Miller is a reporter for MLB.com. National writer Mychael Urban contributed to this story. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.