Longtime baseball executive Kim Ng was hired Friday by the Miami Marlins, making her the first female general manager among any of America’s four major sports leagues and the first Asian-American GM in baseball history.
The news was announced in a press release by the Marlins on Friday.
Miami Marlins Name Kim Ng General Managerhttps://t.co/zFHaBOuxcE
— Marlins Communications (@MarlinsComms) November 13, 2020
Forget just baseball. A woman never has been the general manager of a major American professional sports team period until Kim Ng was hired by the Miami Marlins today. Their COO is Caroline O'Connor. The Marlins' three highest-ranking officials are two women and an ex-shortstop.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) November 13, 2020
“This challenge is one I don’t take lightly,” Ng said in a statement. “When I got into this business, it seemed unlikely a woman would lead a Major League team, but I am dogged in the pursuit of my goals. My goal is now to bring Championship baseball to Miami. I am both humbled and eager to continue building the winning culture our fans expect and deserve.”
Women have begun to get opportunities among the highest positions in front offices across sports, while professional women’s leagues like the WNBA and NWSL have long had women in top jobs. But Ng’s combination of experience and the fact that she has worked across baseball, including in the league office for nine seasons, make her both a groundbreaking and sound hire at the same time.
The Marlins are coming off a surprisingly strong season in which they fortunately avoided any major damage after a team-wide coronavirus outbreak to make the playoffs. Recently-hired manager Don Mattingly was named National League Manager of the Year. Budding superstars Miguel Rojas and Brian Anderson present a nice starting point for Ng as she makes history in the general manager’s seat.
Source: https://uproxx.com/sports/miami-marlins-kim-ng-first-female-gm-mlb-history/