You need look no further than the Mariners to see what a disaster our franchise could have been for 40 years. If I remember correctly, we were winning world series after almost a decade of success before the Mariners even compiled a couple of .500 seasons. I don't know what specific role he had in everything, but to pretend that you know all and can judge him for it is absurd. We sure know what a bad president looks like in Paul Godfrey. Those uniforms still give me nightmares and the franchise's future was in doubt until Beeston came back.
One thing isn't in doubt. Paul Beeston is the most loyal supporter and fan that this team has ever had. Regardless of how you judge him in regards to hiring Gillick, getting a new stadium, hiring Shapiro, etc. he deserves respect for that alone.