Full name

Wilbur Donald Wakamatsu

Age

45

Height

6-feet 2-inches

Weight

210 pounds

Born

Hood River, Ore. (Feb. 22, 1963)

Personal

First Asian-American manager in major leagues. Fourth-generation Japanese-American whose father, Leland, was born at the Tule Lake (Calif.) relocation camp. Don and wife Laura life in North Richland Hills, Texas, with three children — Jacob, Lucas and Jadyn.

High school

Three-sport star at Hayward High School in Bay Area, whose first love was football. Graduated in 1981.

College

Teammate of Barry Bonds at Arizona State. Played four years and was All-Pac-10 catcher three times.

Drafted

11th-round pick by the Cincinnati Reds in 1985.

Pro career

Played with seven different clubs over 12 seasons (1985-96), all but one in minors. Was backup for Carlton Fisk with the Chicago White Sox in 1991, and caught all nine starts of knuckleballer Charlie Hough. Wakamatsu had seven hits and batted .226.

Mariners connection

Played parts of last two seasons in Mariners organization with Class AAA Tacoma Rainiers and AA Port City. Played his final game with Rainiers in 1996, going 0 for 3.

Minor-league coaching

Record of 215-248 as manager. California League manager of the year with Class A High Desert in 1998, and also managed at A Peoria (1997), AA El Paso (1999) and AA Erie (2000). Minor-league coordinator and roving catching instructor for the Angels (2001-02). Also served in Diamondbacks, Indians and Cubs organizations.

Major-league coaching

With Rangers 2003-07, first three as bench coach, and served as manager for two games when Buck Showalter was hospitalized. Third-base coach in 2007. Was bench coach last season for Oakland Athletics.