The Miami Marlins made history on Friday by naming longtime baseball executive Kim Ng as the team’s next general manager. Kim becomes the highest-ranking woman in the major leagues and she is believed to be the first female GM for a men’s team in a major professional sport in North America, the Marlins said.
“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 that was shared by the Marlins’ Twitter account.
Making history by bringing a lifetime of excellence, Kim Ng steps to the helm as GM. #JuntosMiami pic.twitter.com/UrYESbjTHe
— Miami Marlins (@Marlins) November 13, 2020
In addition to being the first female general manager, Ng is also the first Asian-American general manger in the league.
Kim has more than 30 years of experience combined at multiple stops, including the Chicago White Sox, New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers. She last worked in the MLB Commissioner’s Office from 2011 to 2020 as senior vice president of baseball operations.
With her leadership, teams have gone on to make eight postseason appearances, six league championships and three World Series titles. She inherits a team that has only been to the playoffs three times in franchise history, including last season when the Marlins lost in the NL Division Series to the Atlanta Braves.
“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,” Kim added. “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,” she said.