Grant Desme
{{Short description|American baseball player}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2013}}
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| position = Center fielder
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1986|4|4}}
| birth_place = Bakersfield, California
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| bats = Right
| throws = Right
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Gregory Grant Desme (born April 4, 1986, in Bakersfield, California) is an American former professional baseball center fielder. Desme was a junior right fielder at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, when he was drafted in 2007 by the Oakland Athletics.{{cite web|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/events/draft/y2007/drafttracker.jsp?p=0&s=30&sc=pick_number&so=ascending&st=number&ft=TM&fv=oak |title=2007 DraftTracker |work=MLB.com |date=2013-05-24 |accessdate=2013-07-31}} After a 30-30 2009 season in the minors and being named Arizona Fall League MVP, Desme retired.{{cite web|url=http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?pos=LF&sid=milb&t=p_pbp&pid=446320 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091105163750/http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?pos=LF&sid=milb&t=p_pbp&pid=446320 |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 5, 2009 |title=Grant Desme Stats, Bio, Photos, Highlights |publisher=MiLB.com |date= |accessdate=2013-07-31}} Desme came out of retirement in 2018 to play with the Lancaster Barnstormers of the independent Atlantic League of Professional Baseball.
Amateur career
= High school =
He attended Stockdale High School in Bakersfield and was an all-area selection as a junior and senior. He was first-team selectee for the Southwest Yosemite League (SWYL). As a senior, he was co-Most Valuable Player of the SWYL.{{cite web |title=Baseball: Grant Desme: Profile |publisher=CBS Interactive (San Diego State Aztec Athletics official website) |url=http://goaztecs.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/mtt/desme_grant00.html |accessdate=January 30, 2010}}
= College =
He started his college career at San Diego State University. He transferred to Cal Poly, where he was named 2007 Big West Conference Player of the Year.{{cite web |last=Walker |first=Ben |title=Highly touted Athletics prospect Grant Desme retires from baseball to enter priesthood |date=January 23, 2010 |agency=Associated Press|newspaper=Star Tribune|location= Minneapolis, MN|url=http://www.startribune.com/sports/twins/82431862.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUUUUsZ |accessdate=January 30, 2010}} {{Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=H3llBot}}
Professional career
= Oakland Athletics =
Desme began his professional baseball career with the Short-Season Vancouver Canadians of the Northwest League in 2007. Desme was selected in the second round of the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft before being assigned to the Canadians.{{cite web |url=http://www.sanluisobispo.com/breakingnews/story/61711.html |title=Cal Poly's Grant Desme picked by Oakland A's in second round |author= |date=June 7, 2007 |publisher=sanluisobispo.com |accessdate=January 24, 2010}}{{dead link|date=July 2013}} He batted .261 with three doubles, one home run, six RBIs and two stolen bases in 12 games. The next season, 2008, he only played two games after he injured his wrist in 2007 and his shoulder the next year.{{cite web |url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080315&content_id=2429448&vkey=spt2008news&fext=.jsp&c_id=oak |title=Minor League Report: New arrivals |first=Mychael |last=Urban |date=March 15, 2008 |work=Major League Baseball |publisher=mlb.mlb.com |accessdate=January 24, 2010}} In 2009, Desme had an extraordinary season. He hit a combined .288 with 31 doubles, six triples, 31 home runs, 89 RBIs and 40 stolen bases in 131 games with the Class-A Kane County Cougars and the Class-A Advanced Stockton Ports.
= Retirement =
On January 22, 2010, it was reported that Desme planned to retire from professional baseball and study to become a priest. He said this about his situation:
{{Cquote|I was doing well at baseball. But I really had to get down to the bottom of things - I love the game, but I aspire to higher things. I wasn't at peace where I was at. I have no regrets.|||Grant Desme, BBC News: January 22, 2010.{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/baseball/8476466.stm |title=Oakland baseball prospect quits to join priesthood |publisher=BBC News |date=2010-01-23 |accessdate=2013-07-31}}}}
He took the name Matthew Desme of the Norbertine Order.{{cite web|url=https://sports.yahoo.com/news/from-prospect-to-priest--grant-desme-leaves-the-a-s--becomes-a-monk-and-tries-to-find-his-peace.html |first=Jeff |last=Passan |title=From prospect to priest: Grant Desme leaves the A's, becomes a monk and tries to find his peace |publisher=Yahoo.com |date=2012-09-27 |accessdate=2013-07-31}} He said he found great peace in the vows of poverty, celibacy, and obedience.{{cite news|last=Beattie |first=Trent |url=http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/ex-baseball-phenom-chose-the-better-part-in-norbertine-abbey/ |title=Ex-Baseball Phenom Discusses Life in a Norbertine Abbey |newspaper=National Catholic Register |date=8 April 2012 |accessdate=2013-07-31}}
=Lancaster Barnstormers =
On May 22, 2018, Desme came out of retirement to join the Lancaster Barnstormers of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball.{{cite web|url=http://www.lancasterbarnstormers.com/former-top-prospect-desme-signs-with-barnstormers/|title=Former Top Prospect Desme Signs with Barnstormers|work=Lancaster Barnstormers|accessdate=May 23, 2018}} He is serving as the head baseball coach at Ave Maria University. He became a free agent following the 2018 season.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{baseballstats|mlb= |espn= |br= |fangraphs= |brm=desme-001gre}}
{{Big West Conference Baseball Player of the Year navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Desme, Grant}}
Category:American expatriate baseball players in Canada
Category:Arizona League Athletics players
Category:Baseball players from Bakersfield, California
Category:Kane County Cougars players
Category:Cal Poly Mustangs baseball players
Category:Catholics from California
Category:Lancaster Barnstormers players
Category:San Diego State Aztecs baseball players