Phoenix, Arizona - Phoenix Desert Dogs outfielder Grant Desme is the 2009 winner of the Arizona Fall League's Joe Black Most Valuable Player Award.The Oakland Athletics prospect led the league in home runs (11), home runs/at bat ratio (1/9.82) and total bases (72), and tied for the lead in extra-base hits (16). He also ranked second in runs (30), slugging percentage (.667), and runs batted in (27), and finished fifth in hits (34).
"Grant Desme performed far beyond his experience during his six weeks in Arizona this fall," offers Director Steve Cobb. "For a young man who has yet to face Double-A and Triple-A competition as a professional, his success against an array of the game's top prospects who have was remarkable."
The 6-2, 205-pound Bakersfield, California native stamped his presence with an unprecedented early display of power, hitting 10 home runs and driving home 22 runs during an 11-game hitting streak from October 14-28 when he hit .511 (23-45). He homered in eight of 10 games (Oct. 21-27) during the stretch.
His early offense helped the Desert Dogs to quickly stake a comfortable lead in the East Division that they would not relinquish.
Desme also was the East Division's starting left fielder in the Fall League's mid-season Rising Stars Game on November 7.
The 23-year-old, selected by Oakland in the second round (74th overall) of the 2007 draft out of California Polytechnic-San Luis Obispo, hit .286 in his first three minor-league seasons with 33 home runs, 97 runs batted in. and a slugging percentage of .518.
He split his 2009 season between Class-A Kane County in the Midwest League (.274) and High-A Stockton in the California League (.304), combining to hit 31 home runs and steal 40 bases to become the only "30/40" player in the minor leagues last season.
Other players receiving most valuable player votes were SS Starlin Castro (Solar Sox/CHC), OF Chris Heisey (Saguaros/CIN), 1B/3B Brandon Laird (Rafters/NYY), OF Jose Tabata (Scorpions/PIT), and OF Casper Wells (Javelinas/DET).
Joe Black MVP Award - The Arizona Fall League did not select an MVP during its first 10 seasons. In 2002, the league created the Joe Black Most Valuable Player Award, named after former big league pitcher Joe Black, the 1952 National League rookie-of-the-year.
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