Twins continue to disintegrate

I'm a baseball fan. I umpire, I've coached, and I used to play. While hardly anyone can tell you the name of the general manager of any given team, it is probably the most important position in any organization. Without a good general manager, you will be hard-pressed to find success in recruiting talent to your team, whether it be players or coaches.

Terry Ryan has been an outstanding GM for the Minnesota Twins, and sadly, he's stepping down. I imagine he's being forced out. The Twins have made the postseason in 4 of the last 5 seasons, but this season could see the Twins below .500. That, apparently, is a death stamp.

Even if he's not being forced out - even if he's just stepping aside because he's been doing this for 13 years - it's a huge blow to the Twins organization. Johan Santana has already expressed frustration with the team's inability to add offense, and who knows how long players like Torri Hunter will stick around before finding bigger contracts elsewhere.

The Twins are a great club, and hopefully Assistant GM Bill Smith, who's taking over for Ryan, will live up to the standard set by his predecessor. With outdoor baseball coming to Minneapolis in 2009, the games should even more enjoyable to watch. But they need to right the ship, because it's threatening to sink.