One of North American sports’ pioneering professional relationships has ended — possibly not on the best terms.
On Monday, the Miami Marlins announced that the team parted ways with general manager Kim Ng, specifying that the team had exercised its option to bring Ng back, but she declined her mutual option.
In a statement, Marlins chairman and principal owner Bruce Sherman said the club “will immediately begin a thorough and extensive search for new leadership.”
ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports that the Marlins wanted to hire a president of baseball operations to oversee Ng — essentially demoting her to second in charge after she constructed a team that made the playoffs this season.
“Last week, Bruce and I discussed his plan to reshape the Baseball Operations department,” Ng told The Athletic. “In our discussions, it became apparent that we were not completely aligned.”
Ng was famously the first woman to be a general manager in any of North America’s major men’s sports leagues. She was also the first Asian-American GM in MLB history.
She could land on her feet with a prominent organization: The New York Mets and Boston Red Sox have openings at their baseball operations’ heads.
Ng’s surprising departure contrasts another historic first for women in Major League Baseball. San Francisco Giants assistant coach Alyssa Nakken is reportedly interviewing for the team’s manager position — making her the first known woman to interview for baseball’s top coaching job.
