The sounds of baseballs meeting bats and popping gloves filled the air after weeks of inclement weather and a broken water main caused delays for the San Quentin Giants and threatened the season.
Ill-advised planning for new turf and a refurbished track also diminished conditions after a fiscal sponsor failed to raise the necessary funds for the renovation, so the San Quentin Giants baseball team held player workouts on the first day of March.
With all the commotion around the start of the season, players were happy just to be playing ball again.
“I enjoyed being on the field. The teamwork and camaraderie was great,” Mike “DT” Soutar, a returning player, said. “You could tell people put their heart into it.”
New arrivals and returning members of the 2024 squad gathered on the infield to listen to physical education teacher K. Bhatt welcome everyone.
Bhatt explained that workouts would take place even though a large hole with orange plastic barricades surrounding it was taking up a sizable portion of left field. Bhatt said that the hole will be filled and the entire outfield will be leveled out and expanded to ensure a safe playing surface for the 2025 season.
Bhatt then introduced Richard “Coach Will” Williams, the resident team manager, starting his seventh year managing the team.
Williams addressed the gathering and detailed how the workouts would proceed, and introduced Greg and Phil Snyder, two outside volunteer coaches who came in to assist with instruction and evaluations. Assistant resident coach Angelo Mecchi was also introduced. Each spoke to the group, and offered advice and encouragement.
“The first games of the season are scheduled to be a back-to-back doubleheader on April 19th against L.A. Love,” Bhatt said.
Position-grouped infielders, outfielders, pitchers and catchers performed a series of drills to assess individual throwing, fielding and hitting abilities.
First year player Lee Bailey spoke of the enthusiasm displayed in the drills.
“A lot of old faces and some new ones. The coaches worked with guys to improve skills,” said Bailey, a potential relief pitcher. “I saw a lot of good workouts.”
The second session of workouts was held March 8 as 29 hopefuls vied for the coveted positions on the oldest prison sports team in America.
According to Williams, playing time will be allotted based on who gives the team the best chance to win as judged by the coaching staff. “We will be carrying between 16 and 18 players on the roster this year,” Williams said.
Seventeen to 18 positions, out of the 2.5 million incarcerated, make up the only hardball team in American prisons.
