Kim Ng Stands Alone Among MLB’s New Top-Level Executives

As M.L.B. Commissioner Rob Manfred has said and Leibman reiterated recently, clubs make their own choices on hires for president of baseball operations or general manager. While M.L.B. has resources, programs and a database of candidates aimed at helping improve its diversity, the only requirement governing top baseball positions is the Selig Rule.

First proposed by the former commissioner Bud Selig in 1999, the rule requires that clubs consider minority candidates for openings in five top baseball positions, including general manager and manager.

But in the two decades since the rule’s inception, owners have mostly hired top executives who look like them, and the number of nonwhite heads of baseball operations and field managers hasn’t changed much. (Entering the 2021 season, there will be only six managers of color — about 20 percent, which falls short of the makeup of the M.L.B. player pool and the country.) Throughout the years, several candidates of varied racial backgrounds — Ng included — have said they felt as if their job interviews took place simply so teams could check a box.

“This story — or fairy tale or whatever you want to call it — you’re selling to make minorities think that you actually have a chance, we have to still aspire to get that job, but for decades now — for decades now — it’s just not happening,” said Stewart, who also pointed to the lack of diversity among owners as a contributing factor. Arte Moreno, a Latino, is the only nonwhite majority team owner in M.L.B.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/29/sports/baseball/mlb-diversity-kim-ng.html