Jose Altuve was the little guy and Aaron Judge was the big guy. Max Scherzer was the guy with different-colored eyes and Mike Yastrzemski was the guy with the famous grandfather. None of them were pioneers, but at first they stood out for something beyond their control. They forged their own identities by playing like stars.
That is the challenge now for Kim Ng as she settles into her job as general manager of the Miami Marlins. Her hiring in November made Ng the first woman to be a full-time general manager in any of the major men’s sports leagues in North America, a momentous occasion that earned her widespread recognition for breaking a persistent barrier.