N. Hampton Native Fired as Twins GM

A North Hampton man who lead Major League Baseball's Minnesota Twins to two division titles has been fired after four years as the team's general manager, according to the Twins' website.

Bill Smith, a North Hampton native who had been with the Twins since 1986 and became the team's general manager in 2007, was fired after the team went from American League Central Division winners in 2009 and 2010 to a 99-loss team that finished at the bottom of the division in 2011.

Smith gave the following statement about his 26 seasons in the Twins organization, which he called the "greatest professional privelege [he] could have ever imagined."

"I will be forever grateful to the Pohlad family for the many wonderful opportunities they have provided to me, including the chance to sit in the General Manager's chair for the past four seasons," said Smith. "My thanks and admiration to each of the wonderfully talented people with whom I have worked, and to Tom Kelly, Ron Gardenhire, their hard-working coaches [and] trainers and a large group of players who always represent the Minnesota Twins on the field and in the community better than any team in Baseball! Finally, it gives me great pleasure to hand this baton back to the best baseball man I have ever known, Terry Ryan."