SEATTLE -- Don Wakamatsu has been officially named the new manager of the Seattle Mariners, becoming the first Asian-American field boss in Major League Baseball history.

Wakamatsu's hiring was announced by the team Wednesday. An introductory news conference was scheduled for later in the day.

Wakamatsu will be the 14th manager in Mariners history. He spent last season as the bench coach for the Oakland Athletics. Before that he spent five seasons with the Texas Rangers.

The 45-year-old was among a field of seven candidates interviewed by Mariners' general manager Jack Zdurencik. None of the seven had previous major league managerial experience.

"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 catcher, spent his entire playing career in the minors. His final season in the minors in 1996 was spent in the Mariners organization as a player-coach with Double-A Port City.

"This is something I've looked forward to for a long time," Wakamatsu said. "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."