The Don Smiley "Legacy"

[brewcrewx2]

Sorry to intrude in your space guys. A couple of miserable Milwaukee Brewers fans here (wishing we were down THERE) who have no idea what your Mr. Smiley is doing up here running a cheesehead carnival (www.summerfest.com) along Lake Michigan! We thought for sure that old boy network Selig had gotten him that job to have him in place ready to take over as Brewers pres.

 

But a helluva lot of research and sports chat room speculuation is adding up to a really different picture. Maybe Smiley wasn't all that hot? Maybe as Huizenga's gofer he could look good without really doing much. When Smiley left the Marlins after being president for not even two years (right?) the jobs he took over after baseball all flopped, and bad. Like on his own he couldn't administer himself out of a Junior Achievement classroom. Hey--that's what we have been told. No slight intended, but we are worried. The local paper up here one year ago ran a story on page two that left us in some doubt:

 

http://www.jsonline.com/news/metro/apr04/221361.asp

 

The glory days of the Brewers are more than 20 years in the past. We thought this Smiley dude was some sort of secret weapon on standby up here in the backwaters of baseball, a guy who would make it all work again. But, and once more this is chat room talk, there is this legacy of Mr. S. being little more than a party boy who could not really come up with origional ideas, or moniey, to help the team when needed.

 

Again, we repeat- No disrespect meant here. We really don't know this guy. But the chatter out there is not good. So we ask for your opinions

 

So maybe we DON'T want him in as Brewer's president?

 

--2 Brewguys crying in their beer(s)

[prinmemito]

Huizenga is great at giving losers second and third chances and then not really blaming them. Wayne "Crater Face" Huizenga is a savvy businessman that is loyal to his employees - he is successful with or without competent employees and then it looks like the employees really helped him out when in fact they didn't do jack. So, in short, Huizenga covers for his employees' incompetence.

[Flying_Mollusk]

Smiley apparently had a lot to do with the firesale. I believe he was the individual who tried to buy the Marlins via numerous investors. Be patient..I think some other posters can give you some more juicy details on Mr. Smiley.

[TSwift25]

Smiley apparently had a lot to do with the firesale. I believe he was the individual who tried to buy the Marlins via numerous investors. Be patient..I think some other posters can give you some more juicy details on Mr. Smiley.

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That's pretty much his big thing. He wanted to buy the team, but the money/investors never materialized, so Wayne cut payroll substantially to try to facilitate the sale. Wayne did it, but Smiley was a big reason it happened.

[brewcrewx2]

Thanks to all for the several private messages. Turns out that we should try to keep Mr Smiley as far away from the Brewers as possible! That the Marlins still struggle with the Huizenga/Smiley aftermath, to this day, is reason enough.

 

Best regards to this Board, BrewDoods