Twins general manager Terry Ryan was named the 2006 Major League Baseball Executive of the Year by The Sporting News on Monday night (for the second time) during a reception for the general managers at this year's annual meetings. Ryan replaced Andy MacPhail as GM in 1994, when MacPhail left to become president of the Cubs. As a ball club with shallow pockets - small-market, if you prefer - Ryan has helped keep the Twins remain in competition.
After the 2001 season, the Twins remained alive by court order, bound by their lease at the Metrodome, after a threat to be moved due to lack of revenue. The Twins won the central division title the following year and defeated the A's in the first round before losing to the Angels in five games in the ALCS...which hurt less after they won the World Series. It was after that stunning season that Terry Ryan won his first Executive of the Year award.
This 2006 season, as the Twins played their tails off to beat out the White Sox and Tigers for the division title, the Minnesota Legislature finally approved a plan to build a new ballpark in the Minneapolis warehouse district in 2010. Ryan has had little to work with on paper, but has found tremendous talent in the farm system and a couple trades/pickups in the off-season.
Here's to 2007, Mr. Ryan. May it be as successful as last season, only more so.
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