Now batting? A player rewriting his story.
Until recently, Grant Desme was in one of baseball’s longest streaks: 0-for-an entire decade.
Desme was once one of baseball’s better prospects as a minor leaguer for the Oakland Athletics. But in 2010, he realized his calling wasn’t the major leagues. Instead, he dropped everything to become a priest.
Grant told KHOU 11 Anchor Jason Bristol that life in professional baseball had been testing his relationship with God.
“It was like two conflicting ideas,” he explained, “of playing baseball or living out my faith authentically and wholeheartedly.”
He believed the priesthood was his true calling.
But then, it wasn’t.
“I started to see I could do both,” said Desme, now 32. “And I felt my desire to get married was growing more and more and the desire to become a priest wasn’t growing, so that was a big sign for me that God wasn’t calling me to stay there.”
He took that as a sign and now he’s back in the game. First, Desme was hired as the head baseball coach at Ave Maria University in Florida and, since June 18th, as an outfielder with Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Barnstormers of the independent Atlantic League.
A close friend of Grant’s, free agent major league outfielder Logan Schafer, had also played for Lancaster.
So far, by all accounts, that recommendation has been a blessing all the way around.
“It’s been amazing,” said Lancaster play-by-play announcer Dave Collins of Desme’s performance. “First game, after eight seasons off, and he goes 3-for-3.”
“He’s playing the game the right way,” added Lancaster manager Ross Peeples. “The way he takes and reads pitches; it’s been pretty impressive.”
Does Desme believe God understands this latest decision to return to the game? “Yes,” said Desme. “That was a big thing for me to accept that the love of God as my Father; He leaves me free.
“That’s why I’m even more grateful to be able to play again. I take it as a gift from God. I gave it up for God and when it came time to leave the monastery, He said, ‘Here you go. You gave it up for me and here’s another shot at it.”
Yes, another shot as Grant Desme rewrites his story. While its unlikely he’ll make the majors, the title remains the same: No regrets. And that’s the God’s honest truth.