Ng an inspiration after landing top MLB job

NEW YORK • Since the Miami Marlins named Kim Ng as their new general manager last Friday, making her the first woman to hold that title in any of the major men's sports leagues in North America, she said she had been flooded with over 1,000 e-mails and text messages of congratulations.

The senders included current and former managers, scouts, front-office executives, players, family and friends.

"I got calls and text messages from guys that I've known over the years who were just so excited to tell their daughters and wives," Ng, 51, said from Marlins Park during her introductory press conference on Monday.

"I got voicemails from friends and front-office executives with tears, just so happy that I had broken through, but really more for the sport and more about what it meant for us in society."

A few messages stood out to Ng, namely a tweet from former United States first lady Michelle Obama and another from former tennis star Billie Jean King.

"With 30 years' experience as a baseball executive, she's made history as the first woman and first Asian American to hold the top post in a baseball operations department," 12-time Grand Slam singles champion King wrote. "Progress!"

Long viewed as the woman who could break this gender barrier in Major League Baseball (MLB), Ng said she felt an enormous responsibility to continue serving as an example for females, particularly those interested in baseball, a sport dominated by white men.

"There's an adage, 'You can't be it if you can't see it'," Ng said. "I suggest to them, 'Now they can see it'. And so I look forward to hearing all of their stories and just how inspired they are to now pursue a job in sports, a job in baseball and to reach for the stars."

NYTIMES