SF Giants: Why 4 different coaches will be managing games this spring

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — On the wall in Gabe Kapler’s office here, there is a whiteboard. On the board, there is a grid with names of various San Francisco Giants staffers. There is intention behind it: It’s a place to create opportunity.

This is where Giants coaches and support staff can inform Kapler of duties they’d like to try out this spring.

“I think it’s really important that people feel included,” Kapler said. “The point of the grid was to make sure that somebody who wanted to try something got a chance to try something. Spring training is a perfect opportunity for that.”

For somebody such as Taira Uematsu, a longtime bullpen catcher and batting practice pitcher who was elevated into a coaching role in 2022, that means signaling he’d like to coach the bases, which he will do at some point this spring. Alyssa Nakken became the first woman to coach in an on-field role when she filled in as first base coach last April, and she is also likely to do more base-coaching this spring.

For others such as Mark Hallberg, who already coaches third base, or Craig Albernaz, the Giants’ catching coordinator who moved from the bullpen into the dugout last season, or Nick Ortiz, a quality control coach who helps bridge the language barrier with Spanish-speaking players, or Kai Correa, their bench coach, that means controlling all the strings in the manager’s seat.

All four coaches will manage games this spring, Kapler said Friday, starting with Correa leading the split-squad group that travels to Surprise on Friday to face the Texas Rangers (managed by Bruce Bochy).

As bench coach, Correa is typically the man on staff saddled with managing split-squad games. But, in response to the goals others expressed, they will rotate responsibilities for their remaining three split-squad games.

Hallberg will manage Saturday against the Brewers in Maryvale, while Kapler stays back in Scottsdale. Albernaz and Ortiz will split the other two games, March 15 at Arizona and March 23 against the Chicago White Sox.

“It’s a good practice ground,” Kapler said. “Just like spring training is for players, it is for coaches as well.”