Grant Desme
Encyclopedia
Gregory Grant Desme is a retired professional baseball center fielder
. Desme was a junior right fielder
at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, when he was drafted in 2007 by the Oakland Athletics
. After a 30-30 2009 season in the minors
and being named Arizona Fall League
MVP, Desme retired to pursue Roman Catholic priesthood
.
Player of the Year.
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. 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. 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
. He received the 2009 Arizona Fall League
's Joe Black Most Valuable Player Award and ranked eighth in Oakland's farm system going into the 2010 season.
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:
Center fielder
A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball fielding position between left field and right field...
. Desme was a junior right fielder
Right fielder
A right fielder, abbreviated RF, is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound...
at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, when he was drafted in 2007 by the Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
. After a 30-30 2009 season in the minors
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
and being named Arizona Fall League
Arizona Fall League
The Arizona Fall League is an off-season league owned and operated by Major League Baseball which operates during the fall in Arizona, United States at five spring training complexes...
MVP, Desme retired to pursue Roman Catholic priesthood
Priesthood (Catholic Church)
The ministerial orders of the Catholic Church include the orders of bishops, deacons and presbyters, which in Latin is sacerdos. The ordained priesthood and common priesthood are different in function and essence....
.
High school
He attended Stockdale High School, 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.College
He started his college career at San Diego State University. He transferred to California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, where he was named Big West ConferenceBig West Conference
The Big West Conference is an NCAA-affiliated Division I mid-major college athletic conference. When the conference began in 1969, its name was the Pacific Coast Athletic Association . After nineteen years, in 1988, its name was changed to the Big West Conference. The conference stopped...
Player of the Year.
Oakland Athletics
Desme began his professional baseball career with the Short-Season Vancouver CanadiansVancouver Canadians
The Vancouver Canadians are a minor league baseball team located in Vancouver, British Columbia. The Canadians are the Northwest League affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. The C's have previously affiliated with the Oakland Athletics between 2000-2010. They are the only Canadian team in the...
of the Northwest League
Northwest League
The Northwest League of Professional Baseball is a Class A-Short Season minor baseball league. The league is the descendant of the Western International League which ran as a class B league from 1937-1951 and class A from 1952-1954...
in 2007. Desme was selected in the second round of the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft
2007 Major League Baseball Draft
The 2007 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft was Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft of high school and college baseball players, and was held on June 7 and June 8, 2007...
before being assigned to the Canadians. He batted
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
.261 with three doubles
Double (baseball)
In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
, one home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
, six RBIs and two stolen bases in 12 games. The next season, 2008, he only played two games after he injured his wrist
Wrist
In human anatomy, the wrist is variously defined as 1) the carpus or carpal bones, the complex of eight bones forming the proximal skeletal segment of the hand;...
in 2007 and his shoulder
Shoulder
The human shoulder is made up of three bones: the clavicle , the scapula , and the humerus as well as associated muscles, ligaments and tendons. The articulations between the bones of the shoulder make up the shoulder joints. The major joint of the shoulder is the glenohumeral joint, which...
the next year. In 2009, Desme had an extraordinary season. He hit a combined .288 with 31 doubles, six triples
Triple (baseball)
In baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
, 31 home runs, 89 RBIs and 40 stolen bases in 131 games with the Class-A Kane County Cougars
Kane County Cougars
The Kane County Cougars are a Class A minor league baseball team, affiliated with the Kansas City Royals, that plays in the Midwest League. Their home games are played in Geneva, Illinois, about 35 miles west of Chicago....
and the Class-A Advanced Stockton Ports
Stockton Ports
The Stockton Ports are a baseball team in Stockton, California. The Ports play in the Northern Division of the Class A – Advanced California League and are a Minor League affiliate of the Oakland Athletics. Their home field is Banner Island Ballpark which seats over 5,000 people and opened in...
. He received the 2009 Arizona Fall League
Arizona Fall League
The Arizona Fall League is an off-season league owned and operated by Major League Baseball which operates during the fall in Arizona, United States at five spring training complexes...
's Joe Black Most Valuable Player Award and ranked eighth in Oakland's farm system going into the 2010 season.
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: