Outside The Confines: Kim Ng makes history for women in baseball

The biggest story of the past week, and certainly the biggest news since the end of the World Series, is the announcement of the new Miami Marlins General Manager. The Marlins will find their new leader in Kim Ng, the former Senior Vice President of Baseball Operations for MLB, and Assistant GM to both the Yankees and Dodgers, and long-overlooked for the role by other teams.

Ng becomes the first woman to be General Manager of a MLB team, making history for women in the sport in the same season Alyssa Nakken became the first full-time female MLB coach.

There is absolutely no question of Ng’s qualifications, she has been working in baseball since she graduated university and knows the ins and outs of the game like no one else. It’s exciting to see her finally get her opportunity to show was she’s capable of, and naturally this historic event has been a topic of much discussion this weekend.

Let’s get into the links!

• If you forgot in the wake of other news, MLB is axing several minor league teams, and Will Savage looks at just what that will look like and what MLB will lose. (The Athletic subscription required.)
• Jay Jaffe collects the responses of FanGraphs readers regarding how they feel about the MLB rule changes.
• Is the window for success already closing for the Houston Astros? Zach Kram suggests the Astros might be nearing the end for contention earlier than expected.
• Will the Yankees be able to “fix” Gary Sanchez this offseason? Buster Olney looks at the New York club’s winter priorities.
• Michael Shapiro tries to narrow down the list of contenders for Trevor Bauer’s offseason signing.
• The new Hall of Fame class contenders will be announced today, and Matt Snyder shares what we need to know.
• Is Marcus Semien a potential underrated free agent selection? Craig Edwards shares why a team might be lucky to land him.
• Lindsey Adler writes about what the Kim Ng hire means to (and for) women in baseball. (The Athletic subscription required.)
• Lorenzo Cain does not take it easy on kids.

• Is it too soon to start speculating about the 2021 award winners? Maybe, but Bradford Doolittle and David Shoenfield won’t let that stop them.
• Michael Clair has the 2020 Superlatives, giving out the award MLB SHOULD hand out each postseason.
• Dan Evans, the first exec to hire Kim Ng, shares his thoughts on her talent with Ken Rosenthal. (The Athletic subscription required.)
• Jackie Spiegel celebrates Kim Ng breaking the glass ceiling, but reminds us it should have been broken long ago.
• Have some players changed their 2021 narrative based on their play in October? (Ahem, Randy Arozarena.) Dan Syzmborski takes a look at the top players who made a name for themselves in October.
• Who says no to these potential trade targets for Francisco Lindor?
• 40-plus years ago Melissa Ludtke made history for female reporters being allowed in MLB clubhouses. Now, with Emma Baccelierri, she celebrates Kim Ng’s historical hire.
• Marc Carig celebrates Kim Ng’s hire as the father of an Asian-American daughter who now has a visible symbol of what she can accomplish.
• Rob Manfred says another season without fans is not tenable, reports Katherine Acquavella.
• Tim Tebow still believes there’s a future for him in baseball, writes Anthony DiComo.
• Sarah Spain celebrates that (FINALLY!) Kim Ng has found a home as a team GM.
• And over at Bless You Boys, I wrote that the Kim Ng hire is not as “outside the box” as the Marlins implied.
• And the woman herself speaks about opportunity.

And tomorrow will be a better day than today, Buster. Make it so.