Bill Smith Fired

Early this afternoon the Twins announced the firing of their GM BIll Smith, who has been with the organization since 1986. Terry Ryan has taken over all interim GM duties until a permanent replacement is found, a job he held for the Twins from 1994-2007. In the official press release here, the Twins owner Jim Pohlad spoke warmly about Smith and had the following to say: “He is unquestionably loyal, committed and talented. The Twins goal is to get better in 2012 and beyond. Bill was equally motivated to achieve that goal but we differed in the scope and approach that was required”

The Twins plan to offer Smith a position within the organization. Word on that process is pending at the time of this report.

ESPN’s Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) tweeted this afternoon “Folks in the sport are completely stunned by the news that Bill Smith has been fired; to others, timing of the move is strange.” and followed that up with the remark that the Twins had “executed nicest firing in the history of sports.”

Bill Smith had the following to say before stepping down: “Finally, it gives me great pleasure to hand this baton back to the best baseball man I have ever known, Terry Ryan.”

Jim Souhan, of the Star Tribune, believes that Ryan will hold onto the post for awhile, and that his appointment is not just an interim roll, “he plans to win.” Only time will tell if Souhan really has the inside track or not.

Check back to the Pond for updates on the GM situation and the waves and ripples as they make their way through the Twins system.