Every story has it's beginning, and for the Huntington Wiffle League - it's beginning involves Josh Smith. The wounds left behind from Smith's previous league were still fresh in 2012. His former league, the Garrett Drive Wiffleball League (GDWL), had folded the year before after nine seasons and did not end on the best of terms. He swore off running a league after the  GDWL collapsed and started a wiffleball news blog and online magazine known as Wiffler's Digest where he continued to export his love for the sport to anyone who would listen. The magazine released three issues and was a successful but laborious task. He continued to write for the blog through 2013 where he unofficially went on hiatus from the project. His work on this project earned him the distinction of being the first recipient of the National Wiffleball League Association's 'Wiffletarian of the Year' award.

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Smith was enjoying his time writing about the game he loved but grew tired of only being a spectator. In April 2012, he was invited to Washington D.C. by Chris Gallaway to cover the Potomac Wiffleball League. Smith spent an entire weekend with Gallaway in which case he became inspired to try to start a new league with a fresh perspective. Armed with the lessons he learned from watching other leagues as he reported on them, Smith reunited with Greg Sowards to formulate a plan for a league that ultimately became the Huntington Wiffle League. Together, they assembled around a dozen players and formed five teams for the inaugural season. Later that summer, Smith would go on to assist in the organization of the first NWLA Tournament where he served as the event's photographer.

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Smith continued to serve as the league's commissioner through the 2015 season, where he handed over the reigns to Patrick Rayl. During Smith's four-year career as commissioner he presided over the continued growth of the league from the original five franchises to eight. The league formed two divisions (River City & Jewel City) and developed a reputation for it's chatter and media presence on it's website. Among's his most notable achievements as a commissioner he was interviewed for two newspaper articles, a short documentary, and a report for a local television news station - all in an attempt to grow the league. 

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As a player, Smith is best described as an average performer as his pitching and hitting statistics were not the basis for his reputation on the field. Jokes and jeers have often been heard coming from his direction during gameplay and he attempted to connect with every player that came into the league. Despite his mediocre athletic abilities he did manage to win HWL Most Improved Player and Most Patient Hitter in 2013 as well as Closer of the Year in 2014. Smith has also made it onto NWLA "national" teams for fielding (historically his strongest skill in the game). Smith has also been the recipient of the NWLA Lifetime Achievement Award (2016), a first-class NWLA Hall of Fame inductee (2008), and part of the NWLA Hall of Fame GDWL team - the GDWL Green Bears (2013). 

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Upon receiving his Hall of Fame plaque in the presence of all the teams participating in the August 2017 tournament, Smith was uncharacteristically speechless. However, during the Episode 29 of the HWL Podcast (with Anthony Stidham hosting), Smith mentioned that he was "humbled...thankful...and excited" to receive the award and thanked individuals on the episode, chiefly Greg Sowards (fellow Hall of Fame inductee) - for his tireless efforts and contributions to the foundation and maintenance of the league.