We always hear about the cross town rival New York Yankees as if they are the older brother that grew up to became a successful stock broker, while the Mets are like the younger brother that showed some promise in high school, but has elongated their “gap year” in between college and high school to nearly 20 years now. Always told to try and take a page out of the older brother’s book, the Mets have refused to ever try to emulate the Yankees formula for success. This offseason, they have the opportunity to do so, and it is one that they shouldn’t pass up.
The opportunity to do so comes in the form of Kim Ng. Ng was hired as Assistant General Manager to Brian Cashman in 1998, and she continued to flourish in her role. Ng means business, and her rings that she won with the Yankees prove that. Following her career with the Yankees, she moved on to be the Vice President and Assistant General Manager to the Los Angeles Dodgers. There are a couple of reasons that the Mets should be interested in Ng, besides the fact that she is a native of Fresh Meadows, Queens.
What immediately stands out about her is the teams that she has worked for so far in Major League Baseball. She joined the Chicago White Sox straight out of college, and quickly ascended their ladder before joining the Yankees. The teams that stand out to me are the Yankees and the Dodgers, two teams that are obviously big when it comes to market size. Ng has never experienced working for a baseball team in a small market, which should have the Mets drooling. Far too often, the Mets are labeled as acting like a small market team in one of the globe’s largest markets. With Ng, there would be no worry as to whether she can handle the stress that comes with the New York market.
As an Assistant General Manager, one has to imagine that Ng played a large part in the drafts for her respective teams. Her draft record was fantastic for the Dodgers, as some of the players they drafted during her tenure went on to be big parts of the organization, or a great career in general. While she was Assistant General Manager with the Dodgers, they drafted Matt Kemp, Chad Billingsley, David Price (didn’t sign), Clayton Kershaw, Dee Gordon, and Joc Pederson. If anything, her role in drafting these players shows that she has excellent foresight in the potential of players.
Right now, Ng currently works as Senior Vice President of Baseball Operations at Major League Baseball, the right hand woman of Joe Torre. She also co-owns a winery with her husband. For a long time, it has been expected that she would be the first ever woman elected as the general manager of a team. For the Mets, it makes complete sense for them to make her that woman. Bringing in a Queens native to run the team would probably bring some level of the comfort to the team as well.
Outstanding record , but I wonder how much influence she had in those drafts as an assistant GM..just saying..
If she could get the coupons to spend a bit more I’m all for her..plus the good press as the first woman GM would be a plus
I read a few reports about Ms Ng with her name thrown in the newspapers. Dalton’s put some background data with her experience, especially with the Dodgers. I figured Ng was Asian but didn’t know her gender.
Without much further thought, I like what I see as the new face of the team. Hopefully the Wilpons feel the same
I know literally nothing about her but she’s better than the latest rumored interviewees who worked for Dave Stewart and signed Yasmany Tomas, yikes.
My worst nightmare. My prediction is the Mets hire her for all the wrong reasons. She would be this year’s affirmative action hire, similar to hiring Omar and Willie a few years ago.
I have watched an extended interview with Ng, but most of what we get is about her laudable career arc. What seems to be missing from what we know is simple: what brand of baseball will she develop. Im not sure any of us have that sense. Here is a clip from 2003 in baseball prospectus. Who knows if 15 years on its similar.
BP: How would you go about building your ideal team? What are the basic tenets of your team-building philosophy?
Ng: It’s going to differ for every club. You can’t go in there and tear a team apart. The Dodgers were built on pitching and defense. The Yankees were pretty well-balanced. There are a lot of different ways to build a club. To come in and say, ‘I will do XYZ by doing ABC,’ you’re probably going to hurt yourself in the end.
I can say that I am a proponent of being strong up the middle offensively. It’s something I saw with the Yankees having such great success, something I believe in. How you build a team also depends on the ballpark. In Dodger Stadium it’s difficult to hit home runs, so you have to adjust to that. The people in place, ballpark factors, there’s a wide variety of factors that differ with each organization. But a lot of the emphasis I would put would be on scouting and player development. Financial flexibility is the way to succeed, and having great scouting and player development is the best way to achieve that flexibility.
**note: i put a link in an earlier posing of this, and it didnt come out.**
Editor’s Note – Here is the link: https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/2460/prospectus-qa-kim-ng/
It looks like from what I glean from a few pieces about her is that she was more involved in negotiating contracts than in scouting/ development. A quote from ex-Reds GM Jim Bowden: “From what I heard, evaluation of talent may not be her strength.”
Bowden has an opinion on everything. At least half the time he is so wrong you would laugh yourself to death. Two memorable ones: Puig will be the next Mickey Mantle. interesting, based on a couple months of watching him play. On the day Scott Feldman was traded from the Cubs to the O’s for Arrieta and Strop: Great deal for Os as Arrieta is a washed up reclamation project at best and Strop is a throw in. How’d that work out?
Cant help but wonder if Ng was a man whether we’d see the “great background, but….” comments.
Her executive record is first class the whole way. Hand selected by Cashman. Moved to LA, and now Torre’s right hand, yeah, we should be concerned.
My only question (and it pertains to all applicants) is about vision and team philosophy. Her baseball chops are impeccable.
I have a valid question. How do you say Ng?
Ng (pronounced Ang) joined the Yankees in March 1998 after working for the American League as director of waivers and records.
interesting read (note, fix the intentionally broken link to make work).
https ://njmonthly.com/articles/jersey-living/jersey-celebrities/kim-ng-shes-on-first/
I am on board for Ng.