John Raoux/Associated Press
The Miami Marlins announced Friday they have hired Kim Ng as their new general manager, making her the first woman to be a GM in Major League Baseball history:
The 51-year-old Ng is believed to be the first female GM in any of the four major North American sports leagues.
Ng has been involved in Major League Baseball since 1990 and has acted as the senior vice president of baseball operations for the MLB commissioner’s office since 2011.
MLB Network’s Jon Morosi ran down Ng’s impressive resume:
Jon Morosi @jonmorosi
Kim Ng has 3 World Series rings. She made 8 postseason appearances as an executive. She was assistant GM of the #Yankees and #Dodgers, then spent a decade in the Commissioner’s office. Objectively speaking, she has one of the greatest résumés of any first-time GM in @MLB history.
Ng started her MLB career in 1990 as an intern with the Chicago White Sox after playing softball at the University of Chicago. It took her just one year to become a full-time employee, and she was eventually promoted to assistant director of baseball operations.
She joined the New York Yankees in 1998 and was named assistant general manager under Brian Cashman. During her time in New York, Ng won three World Series rings.
Ng became the Los Angeles Dodgers’ assistant GM in 2001 and interviewed for the general manager position in 2005. She also had future interviews with the Seattle Mariners, San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Angels and San Francisco Giants for their GM openings.
Now, 30 years into her MLB career, Ng is making history and taking over as GM of a team that surprisingly reached the playoffs last season.
Per ESPN’s Jeff Passan, the Marlins also have a female COO in Caroline O’Connor, meaning two of the three most powerful people in the organization are women. That speaks to owner Derek Jeter’s commitment to diversity.
Jeter’s familiarity with Ng likely played a role in his decision to hire her, as she was an assistant GM with the Yankees during his playing days and later worked closely with former Yankees manager Joe Torre in the commissioner’s office.
Despite much of their team testing positive for COVID-19 last season, the Marlins finished second in the NL East at 31-29 and reached the playoffs. They also beat the Chicago Cubs to advance to the National League Division Series.
The Marlins boast the reigning NL Manager of the Year in Don Mattingly and a young, talented roster that should provide Ng with the solid core needed to make significant strides in 2021 and beyond.
