Kim Ng has broken a barrier that has stood for more than 150 years of Major League Baseball.
The 51-year-old baseball lifer has become the first female and first Asian American general manager in MLB history after being hired as the new GM of the Miami Marlins on Friday.
She is just the second person of Asian descent to run an MLB team, along with San Francisco Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi.
Not only is Ng's promotion significant for baseball, she is also believed to be the first female general manager of any of the prominent professional men's sports teams in North America, according to the Marlins.
Ng (pronounced ANG) has certainly paid her dues in her 30-year career, working her way from an intern with the Chicago White Sox in 1990 to her current groundbreaking success. She had stints in the front offices of the White Sox (1990-96), New York Yankees (1998-2001) and Los Angeles Dodgers (2002-11) before taking her most recent position as senior vice president of baseball operations in the MLB commissioner's office in 2011.
Ng finally broke through after interviewing for general manager positions with the Dodgers, San Diego Padres, Anaheim Angels, San Francisco Giants and Seattle Mariners since 2005.
"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 in a statement by the Marlins. "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."
She inherits a young Marlins team that exceeded expectations in the shortened 2020 season by reaching the postseason and winning a playoff series despite being widely picked to finish in last place in the National League East.
The Marlins ownership group that selected Ng is led by CEO Derek Jeter, the New York Yankees legend who was a star on the teams that won three straight World Series titles from 1998-2000 during Ng's tenure in the Yankees' front office.
"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,” Jeter said in a statement. “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 replaces Michael Hill, who parted ways with the team last month after working for 19 years in the front office. Ng has previously been an assistant general manager for multiple teams, where she worked in contract negotiations, trades and other facets of the game.
The University of Chicago graduate and former softball player instantly becomes the most influential woman in the game, which has started to hire women into traditionally male-dominated roles.
Alyssa Nakken broke barriers with the San Francisco Giants this past season when she became the first woman in history on an MLB coaching staff.