Pictured above: Kim Ng. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
By Gigi Picard ’22
Sports Editor
It has almost been a month since Kim Ng was officially announced to be the next general manager for the Miami Marlins. This was groundbreaking news, as Ng is the first woman to be an MLB general manager, the first woman hired as a general manager by any professional men’s teams in North America, the highest-ranking woman in baseball operations and the fifth general manager for the Marlins.
Joe Frisaro from MLB.com reported that Ng will be “the second person of Asian descent to lead an MLB team, following Farhan Zaidi, the former Los Angeles Dodgers GM and current president of baseball operations for the Giants.” Former first lady Michelle Obama congratulated Ng on her new position.
Miami Marlins Chief Executive Officer Derek Jeter said in a public statement, “On behalf of Principal Owner Bruce Sherman and our entire ownership group, we look forward to Kim bringing a wealth of knowledge and championship-level experience to the Miami Marlins.“ He added, “Her leadership of our baseball operations team will play a major role on our path toward sustained success. Additionally, her extensive work in expanding youth baseball and softball initiatives will enhance our efforts to grow the game among our local youth as we continue to make a positive impact on the South Florida community.”
Ng studied public policy at the University of Chicago, where she played softball for her entire college career. She even wrote her senior thesis on Title IX, a law that prohibits discrimination against women in sports programs that receive federal financial assistance.
Ng has 30 years of experience in baseball beginning in 1990 as a research assistant for the Chicago White Sox. The team hired Ng for a full-time job in 1991. She later became the Sox’s assistant director of baseball operations in 1995. Ng also became the first and youngest woman to present a salary arbitration case in 1995 against Scott Boras, a super-sports agent, in an attempt to save the White Sox thousands of dollars on then-pitcher Alex Fernandez.
She left the White Sox in 1996, where she worked for the American League as director of waivers and records. Two years later, Ng became the Yankees’ assistant general manager until 2001. From 2002-2011, she was the assistant general manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers. She interviewed to be the Dodgers’ general manager in 2005, but was turned down. Nevertheless, Ng kept seeking opportunities to become a general manager and interviewed with the New York Mets in 2018.
Ng’s position as the Marlins’ general manager will allow her to oversee the professional, amateur and international departments and work alongside Jeter and Vice President of Scouting and Player Development Gary Denbo.
“This challenge is one I don’t take lightly,” Ng said about her new role. “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.”