Harry Bell’s Birthday Bash
Monday, May 6, 2013
There was quite a stir in downtown Kalamazoo a month ago today. The paparazzi descended in droves on Michelle’s, one of the more popular eateries in the area. What was the event? Well, of course, the celebration of Kalamazoo Badgers owner Harry Bell’s 55th birthday.
Bell, who took over team ownership responsibilities earlier this year, held court with such notables as Kalamazoo mayor Reginald Duff, PEBA commissioner John Rodriguez, Jr., president and CEO of Harley-Davidson Keith Wandell, Pfizer CEO Jeffrey Kindler and of course yours truly. Since Mr. Bell himself gave me a personal invitation for this party, I got to sit at the head table with the guest of honor as well as these notable captains of industry. I should note that Larry Bell, Harry’s older brother and the CEO of Bell’s Brewery, a long-time fixture of the Kalamazoo economy, was not present. Hmm… I can speculate on that later.
Also missing: the Badgers themselves. Not one player or coach was in attendance. I did not think it wise to inquire about the blatant absence of his team, but I can speculate that the fact that the Badgers had just dropped their third game of the young season was not lost on Harry Bell. Being the demanding type, he was quite concerned with the team’s current 1-3 record. As a matter of fact, this loss was a four-hour and 35-minute marathon that ended not too long before midnight, and with the final game of the three-game set with Palm Springs scheduled for a 2:05 start, I am sure Bell made it clear that he did not want any of his players to attend this party. They needed their rest, and winning is what is important.
Regarding this shindig, no expense was spared. Bell reserved Michelle’s in its entirety for the evening’s festivities. This included an open bar and specially requested and individually prepared meals for his guests. Steaks were specially flown in from the Kansas City Steak Company and a seemingly endless supply of sushi and sashimi were flown in from San Francisco, all aboard Bell’s personal jet. That same flight also included several wine specialties originating from the Napa Valley in California, as well as a Japaneseitamae.
Now as always happens when you fill a room with all of these high achievers, the discussion turns to reasons for investment and a lot of comparing of notes. Being a Wharton School graduate, Bell was on par with the executives that were present and relished the business dialog. Wandell, who had dabbled in sports ownership in the past, was curious as to why his good friend Harry elected to invest in the Kalamazoo Badgers. Bell, after some thought, responded, “Well Keith, we’ve been friends for many years and you know of my propensity for outdoor sports, including my passion for the freedom of riding. I mean, I just about keep your motorcycle business afloat with all of the bikes I buy from you!” Bell chuckled. “In all seriousness, I think it was a matter of fortuitous timing. I had just finished reading about George Steinbrenner, the very successful owner of the old New York Yankees. I saw a lot of commonalities between myself and Mr. Steinbrenner, and I happened to have enough capital on hand to bid on the available Badgers organization.”
Jeffrey Kindler, scratching his head, inquired, “But Harry, you just sold off a very successful hover car technology company. You clearly understood the dynamics of the emerging hover car industry and were able to turn your $60 million investment into $450 million in just five short years. Now this is baseball, of which you are not as well versed. These fans are not going to patiently wait five years for a winner.”
Harry, somewhat miffed at the perception of sports franchise ineptitude, retorted, “While I admit that I don’t have experience in professional sports ownership, I have a passion for the game. I learn quickly and I know the people of Kalamazoo want their team to be a winner again. I will listen to the fans and work hard to give them what they want. Besides, I have my brother Larry.”
Mayor Duff was quick to remind Harry of the acrimonious circumstances surrounding his purchase of the Badgers and of the family rift that developed between the Bell brothers. Harry, seeming contrite, offered, “Yeah, I really thought about what I may have done to the relationship between my brother and I in the weeks after the deal was signed off. I know how much Larry really wanted to buy the Badgers. Well, we have spoken several times since and we are trying hard to get over the feelings of hurt that I caused. I really can’t get into any more detail than that. Besides, this is my birthday. I’m 55, man! Let’s party!”
As a side note, I asked Commissioner Rodriguez about his thoughts concerning Harry’s purchase of the Badgers. Rodriguez confided, “There had been some very preliminary discussions with Larry Bell in the weeks prior to Harry announcing his interest and I truly felt that Larry would be a fine owner, but I could not reasonably deny Harry’s bid. He followed the required process, possessed the necessary financials and, most importantly, articulated a passion and clear plan for his ownership. The PEBA prides itself as the best baseball experience in America and does not intend to make the same mistakes that destined the old MLB to failure. Our owners pledge their allegiance to the success and growth of the league, and Harry Bell will contribute in the years to come.”
With that, the roundtable discussion dissolved into the wee hours of Sunday, April 7, and the morning of yet another day in the nascent ownership of one Mr. Harry Bell as he embarks on his 56th year of life and his first season as the captain of the good ship known as the Kalamazoo Badgers. Happy belated birthday, Harry!