There are many old sayings which take a simple truth and apply it to a complicated situation. For example: “Don’t cross a bridge before you come to it.” Which may be taken to mean that there is no use in worrying about a forthcoming event until it happens and it may not ever happen. Yep, a lot of truth in those old sayings and if there wasn’t, they probably wouldn’t have survived.

The circumstances and person I am talking about is Minnesota Twins’ General Manager Bill Smith. I was a fan of his predecessor Terry Ryan, admired him for his ethics and for his ability to better his ballclub. When it would have been very easy for him to desert the Twins during the time of contraction, he stuck with the team even after being offered a similar post by an older established franchise. If Ryan had left, it might have been the final nail in the Twins’ coffin.

Ryan’s big heart was evident when he stayed by the side of Twins’ coach Al Newman and his family during Newman’s extremely serious health problem.

Ryan was a master at locating talent, plucking Johan Santana loose under Rule 5 and Twins’ fans will never forget his A.J.Pierzynski for Joe Nathan, Francisco Liriano, Boof Bonser trade. Terry Ryan was the best General Manager in baseball for close to a decade.

The end of the Ryan-era closed on a downer as he did not assist the team’s pennant race in Santana’s last year. In fact All-Star second baseman Luis Castillo was traded to the Mets during the race for a little money savings on the Twins’ part. Santana evidently realized that Minnesota was not for him and left. Ryan came to the conclusion that it was time for him to relinquish the job and although staying in the organization, resigned as general manager.

Bill Smith was appointed his successor. His primary job, according to news media and probably the organization, was to trade Santana. He was unable to acquire equal value in return and it now seems to be a Santana for Gomez trade. Hindsight is easy, but it appears that he gave away that years’ pennant for a still promising outfielder. Smith has continued to have negative outcomes to his moves. He has looked at the free agent market and has been “penny-wise and pound-foolish.”

He has signed Craig Monroe, Mike Lamb, Adam Everett, Brian Bass, and Livan Hernandez. By my count that’s five players and the cost has to be mentioned, even though they were all bought on the cheap, with the exception of Mike Lamb. There must have been one or two good players Smith could have gotten with that money instead of the futile five.

To top it off, Smith’s trade of Jason Bartlett, Matt Garza and a promising reliever for Delmon Young and Brandan Harris may go down as the Twins’ worst trade of this century.

Harris is a major leaguer with a professional bat, but I am really disgusted with Delmon Young after watching him tip toeing down the third base line and being called out after a catcher’s passed ball.

Perhaps it’s not time to close the book on Bill Smith. There is the possibility of Young and Gomez blossoming. If they do, we can call the two trades even. But his unwillingness to pay market value for decent free agents is unnerving and while he did get Joe Crede, it was only after no one else was interested.

Ryan was likeable, outgoing and smart. So far, Smith has not been major league material in any of those categories.