Kim NG - First Female GM in MLB History
The Miami Marlins announced Kim Ng will be taking the reigns as the new General Manager of the team for the 2021 MLB season. This makes Ng not only the first woman in history to serve as GM in the MLB, but in all four Major Sport Leagues in North America (MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL).
The History Behind Making History
Kim Ng attended the University of Chicago, receiving a B.A. in Public Policy, during which time she played four years for the Women's Softball Team and was named MVP Infielder. After graduating, she pivoted from the pitch, to putting in the work off the field. Ng was hired as an intern by the Chicago White Sox, where she quickly made her mark in the organization and was promoted to Assistant Director of Baseball Operations. In 1995 she became the youngest person, and the first woman, to present a salary arbitration case in the major leagues when she worked for the White Sox, regarding the case of pitcher Alex Fernandez, and won.[1
Gaining the notice from many executives around the league, Ng was recruited by GM Brian Cashman of the New York Yankees to work as the Assistant General Manager. Ng also held the position as Assistant GM for the Los Angeles Dodgers before getting the call to lead the Marlins in the 2021 season.[2 Oh, and did we mention, she won 3x World Series Championships within her time as Assistant GM? Yeah, she's got quite the trophy case...
Our Take...
We love to see women breaking barriers in sport - Kim Ng has been doing this her entire life. Despite many women's professional leagues not offering a feasible option for athletes to pursue their playing career, it is important to see the benefit playing sports holds in presenting other opportunities to work within the sport industry. Ng took her knowledge of the game she developed through playing Softball and applied her passions toward a career that made history. We would like to say congratulations Kim! Best of luck with your new position, and thank you for being an inspiration to so many women in sport.
~WPS
Sources
"Baseball executive in US breaks mold". Taipei Times. May 12, 2002. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
"Kim Ng Vice President and Assistant General Manager". Los Angeles Dodgers. Retrieved January 21, 2021.