As bad as it was for the Twins to release
David Ortiz in late 2002, nobody remembers the
equally dumb move six years earlier by the Mariners. Seattle traded
Big Papi to Minnesota in 1996 for
Dave Hollins. Anyway, Minnesota GM
Terry Ryan has sucked it up and taken the hit for his bonehead move. Says Ryan,
"Obviously, it was a mistake. The guy has been a great representation of the Boston Red Sox and Major League Baseball for a long time. And it's Boston's gain and Minnesota's loss. And I take full responsibility." Since that move, Ortiz has hit .288 with 445 HRs. Ah, the poor Twinkies!
