GM is prepared to shed parts from slumping Twins
Minnesota Twins general manager Terry Ryan took his first road trip with the team in more than a month, accompanying the club to Kansas City and Chicago. If Ryan had any doubts about which direction the team is going -- and he hasn't minced words to this point -- he certainly is clear about it after watching the Twins the past six days.
In a 2-4 road trip, the Twins hit .140 with men in scoring position, scoring just 22 runs overall. They saw right-hander Nick Blackburn follow his best start of the year with one of his worst on Wednesday. Denard Span made an error in the 8-2 loss to the White Sox, Brian Dozier got crossed up by a routine grounder, and Ryan Doumit forgot how many outs there were on Paul Konerko's third-inning sacrifice fly.
And at the end of it all, the Twins dropped to a season-low 18 games under .500 -- a point that's left Ryan fairly clear on what he needs to do.
The general manager has said this month that no one on the Twins' roster is untouchable, given where the team is in the standings. Handfuls of scouts were on hand to watch left-hander Francisco Liriano on Monday, and many figure to be in attendance when he pitches again Sunday. And though Ryan has made his reputation through a series of shrewd trades over the years, he doesn't relish his position this year.
"It's not fun for me, because it means we're not doing well in the standings," Ryan said. "That's part of the job description. You end up being a general manager, you try to do the best for the organization. Being in the situation we're in isn't good."
