Former Major League Baseball executive and Miami Marlins general manager Kim Ng was named commissioner of the women’s Athletes Unlimited Softball League on Wednesday.

Ng, 56, has been a senior adviser to the fledgling league, set to embark on a four-team, 10-city, 24-game debut.

“When I hear the word commissioner, it just means leadership,” Ng told ESPN. “And I think being at Major League Baseball really helped me to understand the commissioner’s office and the services that they provide. It’s not just to understand what the clubs need, but you have to lead as well.”

With the Marlins from 2020-23, Ng became the first female GM of a men’s team in the history of major U.S. sports.

She has also worked as an assistant director of baseball operations with the Chicago White Sox (1990-96) and as assistant GM with the New York Yankees (1998-2001) and Los Angeles Dodgers (2002-11). She was the senior vice president of baseball operations for MLB from 2011-20.

The AUSL’s 2025 stint will serve as a trial run for having six teams in permanent locations in 2026.

–Field Level Media