Kim Ng out as GM after Miami Marlins propose hiring new president
On Monday, Miami Marlins made the announcement that the General Manager will not be returning for the next season.
At 54 years old, Kim Ng held the highest position for a woman in a major men’s North American professional sports front office. The Marlins brought her on board as the general manager in November 2020, marking a historic milestone as the first female GM in MLB, the NFL, NBA, or NHL. Her contract had a mutual option for 2024. However, in a recent announcement, Marlins owner Bruce Sherman stated that while the team exercised their end of the option, Ng chose not to do the same.
The team chose to exercise its part of the mutual option outlined in her contract. However, Ng opted not to exercise hers, giving her the freedom to explore other opportunities.
Ng led the Marlins for three seasons—overseeing the team as it clawed its way out of mediocrity to become a playoff team. Before coming to Miami, she had decades of experience in the game, including as senior vice president of baseball operations for the commissioner’s office and as an assistant GM with the Yankees and the Dodgers.
Ng’s hiring in November 2020 was groundbreaking, marking her as the first female GM in a men’s major professional sports team in North America and the inaugural GM of East Asian descent in MLB. Now, she has chosen to step down on her own terms, citing differences in the club’s direction with Marlins majority owner Bruce Sherman.
Even with a challenging run differential of minus-57, a record for a playoff team, the Marlins managed to significantly enhance their performance under Kim Ng’s leadership. After Ng brought in manager Skip Schumaker, who is committed to the team for 2024 with a potential extension to 2025, the Marlins saw a remarkable improvement of 15 games compared to the previous season. Their playoff berth, although ending with a sweep by the Philadelphia Phillies in the wild-card round, marked a significant achievement for the Marlins—being their first full-season playoff appearance since 2003.
“We thank Kim for her contribution during her time with our organization and wish her and her family well,” Sherman said. “We will immediately begin a thorough and extensive search for new leadership as we plan to continue to invest in the Marlins organization both on and off the field.”
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