You’ll hear the word “trailblazer” used a lot during the celebration of International Women’s Day on March 8 every year. Major League Baseball knows a thing or two about that, considering one of its teams, the Miami Marlins, has two such trailblazers leading their entire operation.
A feature that aired on CBS Mornings on Wednesday spotlighted a pair of Marlins executives who make history every day when they arrive to work. General manager Kim Ng runs Miami's baseball operations. Caroline O’Connor holds the top spot on the other side, as president of business operations. They’re the only two women to have these positions at the same time, for the same organization, in all of professional sports, past or present.
“They’re shattering the glass ceiling in sports, together,” said CBS Mornings’ Dana Jacobson, who hosted the piece.
Interviews took place at the Marlins’ Spring Training facility in Jupiter, Fla. Cameras followed the two as they went about their daily routine and observed the team’s morning workouts.
In an interview together, Ng and O’Connor both emphasized the importance of gender representation and diversity in sports.
“It does. It matters, it’s the kind of brand people want to be associated with,” O’Connor said.
“Young girls, young women, who see us, I think it’s really inspirational for them,” Ng said. “I think it shows them that the sky’s the limit.”
The piece included a timeline for just how long Ng, who served as an assistant general manager for two of the most high-profile teams in baseball – the Dodgers and Yankees – had to wait to become a GM. For 15 years, Ng applied for GM positions, but it wasn’t until Nov. 13, 2020, when the Marlins hired her to lead their entire baseball operation. She’s the first woman to become a GM of a men’s team in the history of major North American sports, as well as the first female Asian-American GM in MLB history.
Pressed on whether the wait made her “overly qualified,” Ng took the same modest approach she has maintained through the many interviews she’s conducted since her hire.
“I definitely paid my dues. Should I have gotten the job earlier? Perhaps,” she said. “It’s just the luck of the draw sometimes. That’s the life.”
O’Connor, who joined the team in 2017 and was elevated to her current position in November, embraces the opportunity to serve as a role model for young people who might aspire to take a similar career route.
“It’s really important to hear those stories, talk to people, have people see us in our roles as much as possible, so little kids can see themselves here,” she said.
While in 2022 MLB received an average grade for gender hiring, there were major improvements from the beginning of the year to the end, especially on the field -- 33 women were hired in Major League and Minor League coaching roles, the most in history.
“Prior to my getting here, they had three women apply for analytics internships, out of 300. After I was hired, that next year, that went up to 30,” Ng said.
“Would we be here if not for Title IX?” Jacobson asked, referring to the 1972 landmark ruling that prohibits gender-based discrimination in schools or any education program funded by the federal government.
“Not in my life, not at all,” Ng said. “But it had to happen. Things like that have to happen in order for there to be change.”
Jacobson referred to a past comment by former Yankees manager Joe Torre, when he said, “She’s just one of us.”
Jacobson asked Ng how important that was to hear him say that.
“It’s immensely important,” Ng said. “It says a lot about being one of the team. You’re willing to roll your sleeves up, you’re willing to get dirty, just like anybody else. You will fight that fight with them, every day."