Oakland A’s prospect Grant Desme made public this afternoon a decision he had already made when he homered and struck out twice in his final game in the Arizona Fall League last fall. He’s leaving baseball to study for the priesthood at a Catholic seminary in California.

Let the headline puns about higher callings, higher leagues, chastity belts, collars and cloth begin. Or even better, miss-the-point headlines like one from Huffington Post talking about Desme “pursuing his faith” (as if one can’t pursue faith while not in seminary).

Desme had this to say during a conference call with reporters today, according to a blog post on SFGate.com:

“I’m doing well in baseball. But I had to get down to the bottom of things, to what was good in my life, what I wanted to do with my life. Baseball is a good thing, but that felt selfish of me when I felt that God was calling me more. It took awhile to trust that and open up to it and aim full steam toward him.”

Grant might want to talk to former pro soccer player Chase Hilgenbrinck about the transition from sports to seminary. Hilgenbrinck retired in November 2008 to enroll in a Catholic seminary on the East Coast.

Prayers For Blowouts will be featuring posts from PFB Members this summer. This submission is from Member #031, Andy Vandergriff.

Here at Prayers for Blowouts, we love hearing stories about the underdog finally getting some recognition (maybe because we are a bit of an underdog in the sports blogging world, but anyway) for their long years of struggle and labor, and what better time to do that than baseball’s upcoming All-Star Game?

Voting is already over, and people have voted for popular players that may or may not have deserved a chance to play in the Midsummer Classic, and likely left these guys at the altar for the pitiful reason of their playing in a small market. Hopefully you’ll hear of some guys you haven’t had a chance to yet, and hopefully you’ll get to see them in the All-Star Game after being voted in by their peers.

American League

1B: Russell Branyan, Seattle

Branyan has quietly put together an All-Star worthy season in Seattle this year, with a
.303 BA, 40 RBI, 19 HR and an OPS of 1.006, but it’s a little hard to get noticed on a barely above .500 team in the AL West.

2B: Aaron Hill, Toronto

Ian Kinsler and Dustin Pedroia are getting all the attention, but Hill is having one monster year at the plate, racking up a .305 BA, 56 RBI, 19 HR and an OPS of .855 for a surprisingly competitive Toronto team.

SS: Marco Scutaro, Toronto

In a thin position dominated by Derek Jeter, Scutaro is also having a season worthy of taking a look at in Toronto, with a .279 BA, 53 BB, 33 RBI, and an OPS of .794.

3B: Scott Rolen, Toronto

There are a lot of players from the Blue Jays on this thing, aren’t there? He’s not hitting for power yet, but he is spraying the ball all over the Skydome, riding a 19 game hitting streak to a .333 BA, and a .888 OPS.

C: Victor Martinez, Cleveland

Martinez has split his time between 1B and catching and has been one of the few bright spots for a suddenly anemic lineup, turning in first half totals that include a .313 BA,
.916 OPS, 14 HR and 57 RBI.

OF: Jermaine Dye, Chicago

Jermaine Dye just keeps on hitting the ball, powering a surging White Sox team to 2.5 games back of the division leading Tigers with first half totals of: .294 BA, 48 RBI, 18 HR, and an OPS of .926.

OF: Johnny Damon, New York

It pains my soul as a Red Sox fan to admit this, but Johnny Damon is playing like an All-Star right now. After all, it is very hard to argue with the stats he’s been putting up in left for the Yankees: .292 BA, 15 HR, 47 RBI, and a .910 OPS.

OF: Ben Zobrist, Tampa Bay

The husband of CCM artist Julianne Zobrist (remember, the one with the strange fake feathery eyelashes) has been turning in a solid 2009 as a utility player for the Rays, playing 6 different positions this year and hitting .297 with 16 HR, 46 RBI and an AL leading OPS of 1.051.

National League

1B: Todd Helton, Colorado

Helton had a horrendous (“How horrendous was it?” “It was so horrendous, we almost started remembering him as a former UT quarterback!”) year last year, but seems to have turned it around this year, although his power has yet to make its reappearance in a 2009 first half campaign that has him hitting .312 with 53 RBI and a .895 OPS.

2B: Freddy Sanchez, Pittsburgh

Non-residents of the Steel City are probably wondering how anyone from the Pirates even made an “Underdog” team, but even through the ineptness of their front office, they still have some talent there, and Sanchez is a perfect example of that, with a batting average of .315, and an OPS of .831 with 6 homers thrown in for good measure.

SS: Yunel Escobar, Atlanta

In his second full year, Escobar is continuing to be a solid at shortstop for the Braves, making them very glad that Rafael Furcal left them at the free agency altar this offseason by hitting .293 with 40 RBI and 7 HR.

3B: Pablo Sandoval, San Francisco

Sandoval is looking like he wants a Rookie Of The Year award a little more than he wants another cheeseburger (which at 246 lbs and just 5’11”, might be a considerable amount) with a first half where he’s hitting at a .332 clip (6th in the NL) with 10 HR and 40 RBI and a .940 OPS.

C: Bengie Molina, San Francisco

The Molina family is having a very good year catching in 2009. Yadier is the one who won the NL All-Star starting spot this year, but it’s Bengie who is really tearing it up at the plate for the Giants this year, with 10 HR, 46 RBI and a .263 average.

OF: Brad Hawpe, Colorado

By now, you’ve probably heard that Raul Ibanez is tearing it up in Philly with an OPS of 1.027, leading all NL outfielders. But do you know who’s in second place? Brad Hawpe, with an OPS of 1.008. Hawpe is also in the top 10 in BA(.333 for 5th) and RBI(56 for 7th).

OF: Justin Upton, Arizona

After an injury-shortened 2008, no one knew quite what to expect from Upton this year, but he has shown himself to be the class of the league during the first half, batting .315, with 14 HR, 45 RBI, 49 R, and a .961 OPS.

OF: Hunter Pence, Houston

Pence is having a great first half so far for a not quite stellar Astros team, hitting .310 with 10 HR, 32 RBI, and an .884 OPS.

Now, we’re done with the position players, but there’s still plenty of underappreciated pitchers out there, so we’ll put together a pitching staff for The PFB All-Underdog Team in a couple of days.

a few things to check out while you say “can you believe it’s June?” 145 times today…

+ Dwight Howard and his merry band of 3-point shooters vanquish LeBron James. How will they beat the Lakers in a 7-Game series? “God”, according to what Howard told ESPN’s Chris Sheridan:

Earlier, I asked Howard in the locker room to give me one or two reasons why I should consider picking the Magic to defeat the Lakers.

“God” was his answer, which was met with the counterargument that the Lord probably has better things to worry about than who wins a basketball game, and besides, religion and politics are usually best kept out of sports stories.

“That’s the reason, I’m telling you,” Howard replied.

+ Some MLB players go days without hearing their wife’s voice. The Rays’ Ben Zobrist hears his wife’s voice every time he steps into the batter’s box. Julianne Zobrist’s debut CD, The Tree, which “is considered in the Christian rock/alternative genre, (though) she has a broader sound.”, provides the musical backdrop for all of Ben’s at-bats.

+ Former Detroit Piston John Salley talks about his time on “I’m a Celebrity, Get ME Outta Here!” Why is he a Vegan?

Well, I don’t eat anything that has the right to live, meaning, I say this to all those Christians. God said thou shalt not kill. That means everything, not just humans.

So who’s crazier? Dwight, Ben, or John?

I came across this February 09 interview with Red Sox pitcher Justin Masterson the other day and thought it was worth sharing.

In part IV and part V of the 5-part interview with Sox1Fan, Masterson talks about his faith, and how his desire to share God’s love not only affects him off the field, but on it as well. It’s an interesting read if you’ve got a few minutes. If not, here’s a few quotes:

If you take the chance to be a positive influence, people see what you’ve done and say “Hey, there’s something different about that guy”. And they want to know more about you, and then guys like you (the media) help me to get the word out about who I am and what I believe in. That’s what helps me and gives me a chance to use the platform, because in some respects I’m not a guy who’s going to beat you on the forehead and say “you should believe in God”. In some respects I don’t think that’s what is supposed to be done as I’m walking through the clubhouse or talking to fans. I think there’s a chance to share my faith.

—

It’s that kind of ‘eternal thinking’ that helps me have that calmness… no matter what the situation on the mound, there are a lot of people who have to deal with a lot worse situations than I’m dealing with. In a sense, everything has to be kept in perspective. There’s the competitiveness aspect of the game, and everybody has the drive to want to win, but you still have to keep things in perspective.

—

That’s where it all comes from, the ability to say, “you know what, it happened, but God is good, he’s given me a chance to breathe another day, and I’m going to use it to try and please Him”. Even though today may not be the greatest day, there’s still an inner joy that’s deep within that can’t be taken away… it will keep me from a funk, keep me from a depression. And that enables me to approach the next day without carrying yesterday with me.

You can read the whole interview from start to finish at Sox1fan.com.

a few things to check out while Matt Stafford finishes counting up his money…

+ If you’re the person who shrugs your shoulders at the mention of steroids thinking the only people it hurt were the dopes who doped, you should read this fantastic Jeff Pearlman article on catcher Sal Fasano. (Though the article doesn’t mention Sal’s faith, he became a Christian through former teammate Keith Lockhart) I’ve got an indirect connection to Sal, as one of my good friends from college was an undergrad with him at Evansville. Sal actually got us free tickets to Fenway one time back in the late 90s when he came through with the Royals. And who doesn’t love a good fu-manchu? (Reader’s Digest)

+ Jon Copper is a linebacker from the University of Virginia who didn’t get picked in last week’s draft. In the blog he has been contributing to at the Washington Post, Copper talks about the expected and unexpected ways that pride can work itself into your heart and affect how you handle situations. Copper is headed to Green Bay to try out for the team as a free agent, he has this to say:

So as I’m getting mentally ready for the opportunity this weekend, I have one thing to remind myself of — a deep breath. You do it, take a second, and inhale. . . . Now let it out. From where did that come? I believe it is a gift, and all of life is a gift. After a deep breath, I’m thankful, self-forgetful, and I’m looking forward to the strength the Giver supplies over each of the next five days for a needy receiver like myself. (LongShots)

+ Guideposts has an interesting Ron Berler piece up about Lance Niekro’s departure and return to baseball, and how it all hinged on whether or not he felt his late father would have been proud of him. (Guideposts.com)

a few things to check out while you daydream about flossing your teeth with Mel Kiper Jr.’s hair…

+ Whether on the field or off of it, there’s a lot to appreciate about Jamie Moyer according to this piece at Guideposts.com.

+ Brad Lomenick, head honcho for the Catalyst Conferences, blogs about why the Masters is such a special tournament.

+ For $5 a week folks in the Decatur, Illinois area can attend Karate for Christ classes where they learn front snap kicks and lessons from Romans 10 from Sensei Billy Roberts. “We are to defend our body, the temple of God, from attack of another person who is bound by Satan to hurt us physically,” Roberts said. “Through our example of protecting the aggressor from committing a sin against us, with the same covering of the Holy Spirit, we can block through the attack.”

+ Tangle.com (formerly GodTube) announces new partnerships with some of the world’s most impactful ministries, sealing deals with and adding the Potter’s House/T.D. Jakes Enterprises, Focus on the Family and The Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) to its list of continually growing ministry partners. The new ministry partners will join tangle’s current roster of influential organizations including: Samaritans Purse, Buckner International, Christian Living Magazine, Max Lucado and Women of Faith, among many others.

Over the past couple of weeks we’ve collected predictions on the upcoming baseball season from the smartest people we know (our members), the coolest people we know (like Jeff Miller from Caedmon’s Call), and also Andy Osenga.

If you haven’t blocked it out yet, Andy won our NFL Predictions contest this past season despite thinking football is a joke. And he enjoyed his coronation so much he’s back to embarrass us all again on the baseball diamond.

Will it happen? You never know. But in the spirit of making truly asinine predictions (he predicted Sam Madison as NFL MVP last year) Andy has chosen a New York Yankee as his pick to lead the Majors in homers this year. Teixeira? nope. A-Rod? uh-uh. Jorge Posada??? Not even close.

His pick for MLB Home Run king this year is

…wait for it…

…Chien Ming Wang!!!

If you didn’t get a chance to submit your picks for our contest, leave your selections in the comments.

Good luck to everyone this year, should be a great season!

For me, this week is the best week on the sports calendar.

NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship – check

Opening Day for Baseball – check

The Masters – check

Basketball, hockey, and NASCAR for those who are inclined – check

Ditto for the Women’s NCAA basketball championship – check

A person from Czechoslovakia is called a – Czech

I’m sure that die hard football fans will fight me on this one, arguing that the Best Sportsweek of the year HAS to include the best sport we have.

It’s a valid point, but I’d counter that NFL fans at least have the Draft to look forward to in a couple of weeks. That means you’ll get to see Mel Kiper’s hair on Sportscenter at least once this week. (and yes, the Best Sportsweek of the year HAS to include Mel’s hair.)

So, are you on board with me?

If not, what’s your favorite sports week of the year? First week of college football? First week of the NFL season or the NFL playoffs? First week of the NCAA Tourney? Let us know…

(…coming later this week, the PFB MLB 2009 prediction piece…enjoy the games!)

Here’s a fun game for you baseball fanatics being put on by the good folks at VegasWatch.

They give you the 2009 over/under win totals for each team, you pick 10 (overs or unders) and rank them according to confidence. They keep track of how you’re trending through the year, and whoever wins first place pockets $500. (2nd place is a 6-month subscription to RotoWire)

Here’s their Win Totals:

Arizona- 86.5
Atlanta- 83.5
Baltimore- 73.5
Boston- 94.5
Chicago C- 91.5
Chicago W- 79.5
Cincinnati- 80.5
Cleveland- 85.5
Colorado- 77.5
Detroit- 82.5
Florida- 76.5
Houston- 74.5
Kansas City- 75.5
LA Angels- 89.5
LA Dodgers- 82.5
Milwaukee- 80.5
Minnesota- 83.5
NY Mets- 88.5
NY Yankees- 97.5
Oakland- 81.5
Philadelphia- 87.5
Pittsburgh- 69.5
San Diego- 71.5
San Francisco- 80.5
Seattle- 72.5
St. Louis- 82.5
Tampa Bay- 87.5
Texas- 73.5
Toronto- 80.5
Washington- 71.5

If you want to play along, head on over to their site for all the details.

So, any of these stand out to you as pretty good bets?

PFB Member Eric G. is looking for a few good owners to join his fantasy baseball league. It’s a 20-team mixed league with active owners. If you’re interested, shoot him an email at: ericgeisbert13(at)gmail.com.