Dear Don,
Without your support I would have left the baseball program at San Quentin years ago. Now in, what would have been my 17th season, I must resign from the program. And without you there would not have been the incredibly great sports programs enjoyed at the prison. Thank you for all you have done.
Let me express why I am leaving. One, in 2010 we decided, at the close of that season, to add one team–the A’s. After contacting the Oakland A’s they supplied us with uniforms and we were off and running. I invited a particular coach to manage the A’s, but he consistently, and again this 2012 season, essentially turned it over to a convict to run. Yes, two other coaches that I brought into work with the A’s in 2011 ran into some significant trouble, resulting in a player being transferred to another institution, but that 2011 season, due to the problem coaches and the inattention of the manager of the A’s, resulted in a miserable season for all concerned. The rivalry and tension was suffocating at times, and few felt good about the season.
I was forced out the prison in late July of 2011 due to threats made on me. The most interesting accusation against me was “reverse” racism due to the fact that a high percentage of the Giants were black; the “white boys” on the A’s did not appreciate this.
In a meeting with the CDW, Chief Deputy Warden, sometime later where I was assured that the problem was taken care of, but it was not. it got worse.
Also, for 2012, we made format changes designed to correct the problems from the previous season, but as it turned out, that plan failed. Then more threats were made against me and one other coach, meetings were held in the CDW’s office, where I had to endure what could only be described as a “thug/bully” talking to, without even one sentence spoken by me or a moment when I was given a chance to speak. This occurred not once but three times, each of which you were present for. After the Investigative Unit finished their report, I was removed from the prison along with the two problem A’s coaches. At no time, despite my thirty years of volunteer work at the prison, was I ever personally interviewed, except for a brief telephone conversation. I have never had a chance to even ask what it was that I was being punished for.
At a meeting with the chief people running the two baseball teams on May 25, I was pressured into allowing certain problem people, three of whom had been involved with the problem mentioned above, to remain in the baseball program. (At least one of these should have been transferred to another prison.) And then, on Saturday, May 26, when the names of those selected for the A’s and the Giant’s was read off, the problem coach for the A’s handed the job of running the team to the convict who was behind so much of the mischief.
This last reason was enough for me. The program was not safe for anyone; the convicts were running the A’s team once again.
Then, on May 27 then I received a letter of resignation from the one coach without whom the program could not go on, the co-manager of the Giants, my good friend, who, citing safety concerns, decided enough was enough.
Here is the bottom line on this sad affair: The CDW so managed the situation that the baseball program was made unsafe. Don, you did your best to dissuade him, but due to his “thug/bully” means of dealing with prison staff and volunteers, there was little you could do.
Below is a copy of the email I sent out to the managers of the teams so far scheduled to come into the prison in 2012. It was my duty to let them know this. There were virtually no coaches left to run two teams, two practices a week and two games against outside teams per week. There was no other choice.
Hello Everyone,
A sad time for me, and for you and your players: there will be no season at the prison this year. I am hoping that, after the dust settles, that we will have a 2013 season. Let me tell you, in a greatly abbreviated form however, what brought us to this point.
One, considerable trouble among our coaches (How’s that for brief?)
Two, utterly unsafe conditions. Some months ago, West Block went general population, that is, mainline prisoners, 800 plus of them, occupied the block. Due to budget concerns, these Level 3 convicts, by the stroke of an administration pen, became Level 2. This meant they were all eligible to come down on the yard and participate in the sports programs. My first sight of them was when I went with my son Vernon, who runs the flag football program, to observe two games. One look and I could see that everything had changed. Young, aggressive, three race groups, white (looked like the Hell’s Angel’s rejects due to being too rowdy), blacks, and Hispanics, all ganged up and looking to figure out who was going to call the shots, deal the dope, and control some rather unsavory realities of prison life.
I cannot, after what has happened in the last few days, justify inviting anyone into the prison right now. There will be those who will disagree with me, but I have to act according to my conscience. I have done the inviting and the scheduling, so the burden is on me. I am aware that there would be those who would push for the season to move along anyway, but it is my view that this is not only impossible but dangerous. The final decision was made clear to me this morning when I got a letter of resignation from the coach I have been working with for years, we actually have coached the Giants together for the last two years, and he cited safety concerns.
So there we are. Perhaps there will be a 2013 season, but things have to shake out so we can see what kind of adjustments are made. Word I have it is that it takes a year or so before the hierarchy is established and the pecking order made plain.
Thank you for being willing to come in and play our guys.
Kent Philpott
Don, I am sorry it came to this. You did you best and none of this is any fault of your own. When the program came under the purview of the CDW, for whatever reasons, he micro-managed it to its demise. All the promises he made to make things safe on the lower yard not only did not work but made things worse. Now my son to a lesser degree, but myself for sure, have to be concerned about what it might mean to have a prison gang thinking who knows what.
On my wall are a couple photos of you and I on the yard at opening days. I will not forget you. Thank you for all you did.
Kent Philpott