Marlins hire Kim Ng, first woman GM in baseball history

Just like records are meant to be broken, walls placed around marginalized people will also come tumbling down.

Just ask new Miami Marlins General Manager, Kim Ng.

Ng is the first woman GM in MLB and across all major sports leagues in North America. She is also the highest-ranking Asian American executive among major North American sports leagues.

“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,” Marlins CEO Derek Jeter said Friday. “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, who has three decades of experience working in baseball, most recently served as vice president of baseball operations for the commissioner’s office.

“I entered Major League Baseball as an intern, and, after decades of determination, it is the honor of my career to lead the Miami Marlins as their next General Manager,” Ng said Friday. “We are building for the long term in South Florida, developing a forward-thinking, collaborative, creative baseball operation made up of incredibly talented and dedicated staff who have, over the last few years, laid a great foundation for success.

“This challenge is one I don’t take lightly. 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.”

Ng’s career started in 1990 as an intern with the Chicago White Sox, and she quickly moved up to Assistant Director of Baseball Operations before joining the New York Yankees and then the Los Angeles Dodgers.

This has been a momentous year for women in the sport of baseball.

Earlier this summer, Alyssa Nakken became the first woman to coach on the field during an MLB game.

And she was the third woman hired as a coach this past offseason joining Rachel Balkovec and Rachel Holden, who are both hitting coaches for the New York Yankees and Chicago Cubs, respectively.

The MLB is sliding ahead as the most inclusive league to allow women to lead.