Breaking baseball's glass ceiling, now fixing baseball's bottom-tier team
It was time for a new general manager, and Derek Jeter knew exactly who to call: Kim Ng. From 1998 to 2001, Ng served as the Yankees' assistant general manager, working closely with Jeter as the team won three World Series titles in a row.
"Kim was the first person I called when we decided to make changes," Jeter told "The Today Show." "She's the only person I ever called."
Ng had been waiting for this call for ten years. With over 30 years of experience in Major League Baseball (MLB), she's led two World Series champions: the Yankees and the Los Angeles Dodgers. She's also interviewed for the general manager position at least five times but never got the job.
When the Marlins announced their hiring in November, Wu became the first female GM in not just professional baseball but all major American sports and the second Asian woman to become an MLB general manager.
But Wu had more than breaking a franchise out of a slump to contend with. She'd also have to navigate being a trailblazer in her industry.
"She'll definitely be watched more closely than the first-time male GM," said Bob Dorfman, a sport business expert and creative director at Pinnacle Advertising. "The Marlins face budget problems — their salaries are among the lowest in baseball."
Wu acknowledged the challenges but remained undeterred.
"There's a fire going under me," she told the press at her first press conference. "There's a responsibility I carry for so many people, and that's a big responsibility."
30 years of experience
Born and raised in Queens, New York, Ng's love of baseball started young, as she played baseball on the streets. Her college softball career at the University of Chicago led her to specialize in public order law and write her senior thesis on Title IX, a 1972 law that opened up more opportunities for women in college athletics[1].
After college, Ng took an internship with the Chicago White Sox and was later promoted to associate director of baseball operations. Following a brief stint in the American League office, she returned to the Yankees as an assistant general manager in 2002. From there, she moved to the Dodgers in 2006 as the team's assistant general manager, where she would interview for the general manager position in 2011 [2].
Ng spoke about the value of working in two high-performing teams before joining the Miami Marlins in 2020.
"I saw what it takes to win consistently for a long time, and I learned the importance of that," Ng said during a press conference in November. The Marlins declined to make Ng or Jeter available for this report.
During her time at the Dodgers, Ng applied for the general manager position there and later interviewed for the same role at four other teams. She shared her experiences with Sports Illustrated in early 2021, saying she sometimes felt like diversity quotas were driving the process more than her qualifications. Speaking with "The Today Show," she suggested she may have been overlooked because she's a woman.
In 2011, Ng joined MLB as senior vice president of baseball operations before receiving a call from Jeter.
"It comes too late," said Michael Brady, a marketing professor at Florida State University and former Dodger minor-league pitcher, on Ng's appointment.
Critics often argue that women don't play professional baseball, but Brady argues that many current general managers have less baseball experience than Ng, who played college softball.
"I think as a college softball player, she has more experience than probably half the current general managers," Brady said.
Ng's next challenge
Less than a year into her tenure as general manager, Wu now faces the challenge of reviving the Marlins — a team that, despite returning to the playoffs in 2022, ended up in last place in its division this season. Postgame.
"Our strength is being tested," Wu told reporters after a series of injuries caused the team's performance to slump in June.
The Marlins also struggle with legacy issues that have shrunk their fanbase and made them an unattractive destination for top players. After joining the league as an expansion team in 1993, the Marlins won World Series titles in 1997 and 2003 but sold key players from those teams.
"After they had good performances, they didn't invest in their top players and really tried to build a team with a low budget," Brady said. The legacy still lingers, he argued, and is a concern for potential recruits and fans alike. Jeter, who bought a majority stake in the team in 2017, has maintained a commitment to building a sustainable Marlins team.
"The disappointing Marlins record presents another challenge in maintaining their fanbase: Florida is notoriously a difficult market for MLB teams, especially as many residents have moved there from other states," Brady said. This, coupled with challenges securing ticket, merchandise, and park sales, as well as potential lucrative TV deals, has made it difficult for the Marlins to generate revenue.
To address this, Ng said the team's turnaround plan would involve closer collaboration with the business side of the team, which experts argue is critical to raise the team's payroll and attract top talent.
"I want to contribute more to the community," Wu said. "I want the Marlins to be seen as a community asset — that's why I'll attend various events to ensure people understand who we are and where we're going."
Baseball experts say developing promising young talent is also vital to building a championship-caliber team. Fortunately, the current Marlins have one of the best minor-league systems, with a talented crop of young players. Ng emphasized player development as a top priority.
"It's all about finding a way to create a culture of development and growth, so we can have the best players on the field," Wu said.
Inspiring legends and breaking barriers
Ng's first press conference saw reporters questioning her strategy for revitalizing the Marlins for 45 minutes. They asked about her perseverance, her mentors, and her views on inspiring young girls. With grace and wisdom, Ng answered all questions with poise, emphasizing that being a trailblazer didn't mean she had to be defined by her gender.
"Be good at what you do," Ng said. "That's always the best thing to do."
Justine Siegal, the first female baseball coach in the Oakland Athletics' MLB organization, shared similar experiences.
"I would be interviewed, and they'd never ask me about pitching," Siegal, the founder of the non-profit "Baseball for All," told CNN Business. "It's always : 'How do you think the players will react to you?' ... 'Where will you transfer?'"
Siegal added, "Being a woman and being a pioneer is exhausting. You have to excel at what you do, but there's also little room for error. At the same time, you have to be friendly and be a role model."
Wu is supported by a host of other trailblazing women, such as tennis legend Billie Jean King, former First Lady Michelle Obama, and Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg. She also has the backing of her four sisters and mother, Virginia Cagar, who told the New York Times in 2021, "Keep going, girls. Show them how it's done."
In baseball, it seems, the tide is turning. A record number of 23 women are training in the MLB this season, many in front-office and key positions. Ng is not alone as Marlins COO Carolyn O'Connor belongs to the ranks of the league's top females.
Wu plans to leverage the diversity within the Marlins organization, founded by Jeter, and said, "With this diversity of experiences and backgrounds, we hope to build a championship-caliber team in Miami."
[1] NBC Sports. "Kim Ng makes history as first woman to become MLB general manager." November 13, 2020. [2] ESPN. "Kim Ng named general manager of Miami Marlins." November 12, 2020. [3] Chicago Tribune. "Historic GM Kim Ng took the long road to Coach-up in the Majors." November 13, 2020.
