Written by Andrew Cicco
It’s not often you get to witness history happen right before your eyes.
On the morning of Friday, Nov. 13, the MLB made a decision that ultimately changed the way professional sports will be handled forever. The Miami Marlins hired life-long baseball executive Kim Ng as their new general manager (GM), making her the first female GM in not just baseball, but in any of the four major North American professional sports leagues. Ng has been working in the MLB for 30 years — longer than her new team has been in existence. She spent time with the Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, and the Office of the Commissioner. She’s bringing eight playoff berths, six league championship series and three World Series rings with her to a past-struggling Miami squad, who finally found their way back to the playoffs this season. Ng’s ushering up the chain of command is one of diversity and change that professional sports hasn’t seen since that fabled summer of 1947 when Jackie Robinson joined the MLB. It’s been many a year since we saw Robinson redefine the way sports operate — perhaps far too long. But, nevertheless, here we are 73 years way too late, congratulating the first female GM in sports history.
The MLB has, for all intents and purposes, been the organization that thrusts their ideals and operational styles into eras beyond the mainstream, since Sir Alexander Cartwright Jr. drew the first plans for the game we know and love. We saw it with Jackie Robinson and Larry Doby as the first Black players in professional sports, respectively. We saw Frank Robinson become the first Black manager in the MLB. Now, South Beach is doing their part for equality by putting a female in the driver’s seat down the road of the Marlins’ future.
Ng’s expertise and experience in the front office made her the obvious choice to take on the Derek Jeter-owned Marlins, putting the obligation of bringing success back to Miami right on top of her “in” folder (a task, by the way, that she’s handling with grace).
“My goal is to bring championship baseball to Miami,” Ng said. “I am both humbled and eager to continue building the winning culture our fans expect and deserve.”
Of course, with all formality aside, Ng is expectedly excited about her historic feat. Her words keep the tune of historic success, standing as an example for young girls with a passion for sports. She wants to convey that her hiring, while historic, is also trailblazing.
“It made me realize that it really was a glimmer of hope and inspiration for so many,” Ng said. “That if you work hard and you persevere and you’re driven and you just keep going, that eventually your dream will come true.”
Ng’s Miami Marlins kick off their historic season in early April of 2021. For all updates, highlights and breaking news about the newest trailblazing MLB team, visit MLB.com.
