Kim Ng is one of the four leading candidates for the vacant Mariner’s GM position. Many feel she may be the strongest of a field of executives who have yet to reach the GM level. Ms. Ng has worked in the front office of the White Sox, Yankees and Dodgers. All are solid organizations with an impressive front office and strong organizational structure. They are great learning places for anyone who wishes to graduate to the GM position of a MLB franchise.

One of Ng’s most valued qualities is her ability to assess baseball talent. It is a gift she honed while playing softball through the collegiate level. Ng was an infielder for the University of Chicago. Her understanding of her game, combined with the intellect it takes to navigate the curriculum of UC, allowed her to evaluate player potential. That is a strong tool in negotiating. Negotiation is a major part of a GM position. Many who are following the Mariners GM search believe she may be the candidate to beat.

Past employers believe her softball background helped to prepare her for a baseball position. Her acumen on the softball diamond was an introduction to the world of professional baseball. Having attended the prestigious UC didn’t hinder her, either.

Angie Mentink covers the Mariners and the Seahawks for FSN Northwest. She came to the network after playing for the Colorado Silver Bullets, a professional women’s baseball club that was in operation through the ‘90’s and into this decade. Prior to baseball she was an All American in softball at the University of Washington.

Mentink is funny, insightful and does a nice job considering that along with the sad sack M’s and ‘Hawks she must cover the UW football team. This could make anyone dour, but Mentink gives her reports a witty spin that makes even these Seattle seasons bearable. Along with being an All American Mentink was high on the Academic rolls of UW.

Therefore, along with her understanding of baseball and athletics in general, she has intelligence and insight. In an industry that is still male dominated she has risen in the ranks of local sports coverage. It is Mentink who does the dugout and sideline interviews along with hosting the pre and post game shows. Mentink is one of the highest regarded TV sports personalities in the Pacific NW and she has been offered positions at other sports networks. Family life and her love of the Northwest keep her in the Seattle area.

Dot Richardson is one of the cornerstones of US softball. She was a catalyst of the 1996 inaugural WNT that won the Gold and started to convince the IOC that this team couldn’t be beaten. Richardson is retired from the sport, but she continues to conduct camps and workshops. Additionally, she has worked as a broadcast analyst for WNT games.

In her spare time she runs the ProFastpitch X-treme. The PFX is a team of former players, many with WNT experience who travel and play exhibitions games. As part of their appearance, amateur games are played at the same field. It is staged like a tournament allowing amateur softball players to both get exposure and learn from Olympians, professional players and All Americans. A lot of men pay big bucks to rub shoulders with former players and in return get a jersey with their name on the back, a chance to take a few swings at either a former pitcher, or a kid from the minors who draws the fantasy camp assignment and an autographed picture. The women who play the PFX series learn how to improve their game.

Along with her softball accomplishments Richardson is also an orthopedic surgeon. Again, it is a case of someone who is both athletically and academically gifted. Attending med school and doing anything else is virtually impossible to imagine, must less perform. Richardson managed to win two Olympic Gold Medals along with her Doctorate.

Jennie Finch is the Nolan Ryan of softball pitchers. She is an All American with a NCAA Championship. Her 60 consecutive wins is a NCAA record. She has won two Gold medals and Silver in the Olympics and she plays in the NPF for the Chicago Bandits. She has hosted This Week in Baseball and interviewed a number of MLB players. Additionally, she conducts softball camps and workshops for players from grade school through college.

Once again, along with winning a number of NCAA awards for her athletic abilities, she carried a grade point average above 3.8. Her intelligence makes her a spokesperson for her sport and allows her to open doors for female athletes by presenting a smart, articulate and skilled player.

It has been proven that female athletes tend to be academically astute. It may be part of what drives them toward their athletic perfection. Women tend to learn the game better than their male counterparts. Basketball, soccer, even softball/baseball tend to have more of the basic tenets of the game followed correctly by female players. For example, practically all of the NPF players can bunt. That is far from the truth in MLB.

Title IX opened the door for female athletes, but being aware that they are less likely to make it as a high paid professional, the women who enter the programs focus their attention equally on their academics. This enables them to have a future beyond their playing days. And, if those days do extend to a professional sports career, it enables them to have a career when their playing days end. 

It is a tribute to these athletes that they excel both in the class and on the field. The drive that allows them to succeed at both levels is probably the basis behind their desire to nurture younger athletes and show them that they can play, learn and accomplish great things. Female athletes know the importance of role models because women’s athletics is still growing and developing. They are still grateful for the opportunity to play and have not become jaded like their male counterparts. As much as I want to see women’s athletics prosper and grow I hope they never lose that attitude. It is part of what makes their programs enjoyable.