Reports: A’s prospect Grant Desme retires

January 22, 2010 by Mike Axisa 19 Comments

Via Jon Paul Morosi, one of Oakland’s very best prospects is retiring from baseball to become a priest. Grant Desme, who was the A’s second round pick in 2007, is a career .286-.365-.557 hitter in the minors, and was ranked by Baseball America as the team’s 8th best prospect earlier this week. It sucks for Oakland, but good for Desme for doing what he wants. Goes to show just how many different ways prospects can fall short of their ceilings.

Friend of RAB Amanda Rykoff caught Desme in action in the Arizona Fall League a few months ago, in what ultimately turned out to be one of his final games.

Steve H

He needs to learn how to multi-task. Jesus/Mo/Melvin are all able to do their duties while also continuing to play.
- http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bring-Melvin-To-America/193013541601?ref=nf Andy in Sunny Daytona
  
  He’s retiring to serve them though.
Brian

Wow- it doesn’t look like he has a prayer to hit in that picture. Sorry, terrible joke.
- aj
  
  So awful that it was funny. good save.
All Praise Be To Mo

He just wants to be among the first to sing the praises of the Jesus.
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http://www.secondavenuesagas.com Benjamin Kabak

On a different version of this story, someone suggested that the A’s just trade him to the Padres to solve that problem. I enjoyed that one.
mustang

I wonder if Billy Beane try to trade him first can you image what he would get back in prospects.
JMK aka The Overshare’s Garden Apartment Complex

Not a single kid-diddler joke? C’mon RAB, I’m disappointed in you!
Meat Loaf

I guess I’ll be the bad guy here, but I just don’t get it. I’m not an atheist, but… when God gives you a talent that millions of people would die for, and he allows you to become quite talented… you don’t even find out if you can make it to the majors? Unless he really is miserable in the sport, I have a feeling he will regret this decision for the rest of his life.

Just my opinion…
- Drew
  
  I wouldn’t go that far. If it’s what he wants then have at it.
  
  I think that he could reach a much bigger audience if he had stayed in baseball but whatevs.
  - andrew
    
    That’s true. I am not very religious, but one would think that if he wanted to do God’s work, that he could be more effective sticking with baseball. If he never panned out, he could become a priest in a few years anyway. You’ve only got 15 or so peak years for athletics, but you can preach for your whole life. Interesting decision, I definitely respect it though, it takes a lot of courage to walk away from that while all of us sit here and question him.
    - Meat Loaf
      
      Exactly… Playing baseball for a few years, seeing if you stick, and then spending the next 60 years Preaching isn’t such a bad plan.
      - Giancarlo
        
        Guys you are forgetting something. Priesthood is not a job but a calling. God gave him two gifts, talent in baseball and a vocation to serve his community and God. He also gave him free will to choose. The kid chose the greater of the two.
- SheldonCooperPHD
  
  Just because you’re hung like a moose doesn’t mean you have to be a porn star.
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Steve B.

Maybe he’s becoming a priest, because Jesus is coming….Montero, not the other Jesus ;)
Joseph

Desme talks about decision:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OLnA0Jh4aE
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