Marlins promote O'Connor, make history with women as president, GM

MIAMI, Nov. 14 (UPI) -- The Miami Marlins named Caroline O'Connor as president of business operations, the team announced Monday. They are now the first U.S. major sports franchise with women holding the roles of president and general manager.

O'Connor joined the Marlins in 2017 as senior vice president and chief of staff. She was promoted in 2019 to serve as chief operating officer under owner Bruce Sherman.

"I would like to thank Bruce and the entire ownership group for the opportunity to serve in such a prestigious role for this great franchise," O'Connor said in a news release. "We have made large strides in growing our fan base, expanding our business partnerships, and creating relationships with our community leaders, and we have a great deal of opportunity in front of us.

"I look forward to working with the team to continue to build on that success and drive further engagement with Marlins baseball while establishing loanDepot park as a top entertainment destination in South Florida."

The Marlins also made history in 2020, when they made Kim Ng the first female general manager in MLB history. Ng and O'Connor each will oversee the team's day-to-day operations. Ng will continue to handle personnel decisions, while O'Connor will oversee sales, partnerships, human resources, equity and inclusion, finance, legal, communications and more.

Sherman's ownership group, which originally included Derek Jeter, bought the Marlins for $1.2 billion in 2017. The Marlins own a 287-420 regular-season record under Sherman. Jeter resigned as CEO in February, citing a "different" vision for the future of the franchise.

The Marlins announced in September that they mutually agreed to part ways with longtime manager Don Mattingly. Mattingly totaled 443 wins and 587 losses in seven seasons with the Marlins. He also led the Marlins to a playoff appearance during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.

"We are fortunate to have someone with Caroline's business acumen and vision leading our day-to-day business operations," Sherman said in a news release. "Her passion and drive for success is unmatched in our game and the South Florida market.

"Her leadership will continue to guide the Marlins organization toward our goal of sustained success while strategizing additional new ventures to grow our business and enhance our brand recognition."

The Marlins said home attendance in 2022 at loanDepot park increased by 12% compared to 2019, the last year open seating was available all season. The ball park also will host three rounds of the World Baseball Classic in March.