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A16 sports
Wednesday 18 november 2020

Column: A woman in charge, and it's about time

By TIM DAHLBERG the Marlins qualified for this
AP Sports Columnist year's expanded playoffs
On the day she officially be- for the first time since 2003.
came a trailblazer in Major Ng will be expected to de-
League Baseball, Kim Ng liver a winner in Miami, a
remembered the little girl task made difficult by the
who played stickball on the fact the Marlins are peren-
streets of Queens. nially among the lowest
At the time her gender spenders in baseball.
wasn't nearly as big of an But this is a woman who was
issue as knowing the layout unafraid to give her opinion
of the field. even as an intern with the
``First base would be the White Sox. This is a woman
red car on the right, sec- who went up against super
ond base was the man- agent Scott Boras before
hole,'' she said. ``Those she turned 30, winning an
were great memories.'' arbitration case she pre-
The layout has changed sented against pitcher Alex
some for Ng, who sat next Fernandez.
to home plate Monday This is a woman who knows
at Marlins Park for the vir- baseball — and knows how
tual press conference that to get things done.
coronated her historic ap- ``I was never hired to just
pointment as the new gen- In this photo provided by the Miami Marlins, new Miami Marlins general manager Kim Ng poses nod my head,'' she said.
eral manager of the Miami for a photo at Marlins Park stadium before being introduced during a virtual news conference, ``My biggest advice is
Monday, Nov. 16, 2020, in Miami.
Marlins. Behind her was an Associated Press voice your opinion.''
immaculate field, with nary The opinion among most
a red car or manhole in their own dreams, too. took three decades for Ng feel delated and feel like in baseball is that the Mar-
sight. ``Girls can see it,'' Ng said. to reach the top, and the maybe it's not going to lins have a winner in Ng.
In front of her is a job that ``There's an adage you biggest reason behind that happen,'' she said. ``Even Judging from the ease with
for way too many years has can't be it if you can't see had nothing to do with her if it hadn't happened, I was which she handled her
been off-limits to anyone it. I guess I would suggest ability to do the job. never going to see my ca- opening press conference
but a man. to them now, now you can She was hired as an intern reer as a failure." they also have someone
That it took so long for Ng see it.'' by the Chicago White Sox Sitting on a stool next to willing to be the face of the
to get a job running one of Indeed, Ng had the rare and worked her way up home plate in Miami, Ng franchise should Jeter want
MLB's 30 teams was, sadly ability to see what her fu- over the years. But even spent the better part of to stay in the background.
enough, no surprise. Base- ture was — and believe after stints with the Yankees an hour Monday trying to Eventually she will be
ball evolves slowly, and the there was a path to the top and as an assistant general explain what it all meant. judged on how many
idea that a woman could even when others saw it as manager for the Dodg- She embraced the idea games the Marlins win and
actually be in charge of a impossible. She went from ers, no team was willing to that this was bigger than whether they can make
team was inconceivable to playing stickball in Queens hand Ng the reins. her getting the Marlins the playoffs on a regular
past generations. to playing softball in col- At least five times over the job, while celebrating at basis. That's something that
Maybe the best thing about lege. A career in baseball last 15 years she was in- the same time her lifetime comes with the territory
Ng's appointment by the beckoned, even if it was in terviewed for jobs running dream being realized a of anyone who holds the
Derek Jeter and the Marlins the front office and not on teams. Some, she thought, day before her 52nd birth- title of general manager,
is that a lot of other girls like the field. never had any intention of day. a job that doesn't come
the one who played stick- The problem was, base- hiring her in the first place. She's got a lot of work with a large amount of job
ball in Queens can have ball wasn't quite ready. It "After so many times you ahead of her, even though security.q
NCAA graduation rates reach another record high at 90%

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Col- degrees within six years, to 87%. The percentage
lege athletes continue to though that does not of women's basketball
graduate at record rates count students who enroll players earning degrees
and outperform non-ath- at one school and gradu- increased by 2 points to
letes, according to the ate from another. 93% while players from the
NCAA's new Graduation "To see 90% of student- Football Bowl Subdivision
Success Rate report. athletes accomplish the saw a slight slip, from 82%
The data released Tuesday ultimate goal of college to 81%.
shows 90% of Division I ath- graduation is a testa- The numbers among Black
letes who enrolled in 2013 ment to their hard work basketball players also
earned a degree within six and dedication," NCAA improved significantly,
years — an increase of 1 President Mark Emmert going from 79% to 85%
percentage point over last said. "We must also sup- on the men's side and
year's previous high and 10 port initiatives that help from 87% to 90% among
percentage points above the remaining 10% of stu- women. The percentages
Northwestern wide receiver Ramaud Chiaokhiao-Bowman, the goal established by dent-athletes earn their of white basketball play-
center, celebrates a touchdown against Purdue with wide the late NCAA President degrees." ers slipped 2 percentage
receiver Bryce Kirtz (17) during the first half of an NCAA college
football game in West Lafayette, Ind., Saturday, Nov. 14, 2020. Myles Brand in 2006. Men's basketball play- points among women, to
Associated Press The federal report shows ers led the way with a 4 97%, and 1 point, to 92%,
69% of all students earn percentage point jump among men.q