Piscotty’s parents moved by his trade
Mom, ABQ native, dealing with ALS
PLEASANTON, Calif. — Fulfilling a lifelong dream sometimes comes with complications. Just ask the Piscotty family.
Fantasy met reality in Pleasanton Thursday when Stephen Piscotty was traded from the St. Louis Cardinals to his hometown Oakland A’s, the team he’s rooted for since he met Mark McGwire as a 5-year-old.
The news thrilled coaches and teachers at Amador Valley High who remember when the unassuming Piscotty carried the unofficial title of “the best hitter in the East Bay.” But circumstances overshadowed what should have been a purely joyous day for the Piscottys. “Bittersweet” was a word Stephen and both of his parents used to describe the deal.
Having Stephen back home and wearing their beloved green and gold is almost as much of a blessing for the Piscottys as it is just having their tight-knit family back together. That’s because his mom,
Gretchen, a Del Norte High and University of New Mexico graduate, has been battling ALS since May.
Since her diagnosis, Gretchen and the family have been humbled by the overwhelming compassion and support shown by the Cardinals, as well as fans and friends from St. Louis to the East Bay.
“I wish I didn’t need all of their support, but it’s nice to have it,” Gretchen said.
Her debilitating illness was one of the factors that led to St. Louis clearing some outfield surplus by trading their 26-year-old for a pair of A’s prospects so Gretchen’s middle son could be back near his mom.
“I’m sure the Cardinals could have sent him to a lot of different places and they chose one that’s helpful to our family,” said Piscotty’s father, Mike, a former athlete at Sandia High and also a UNM grad, who admitted to some trepidation as he scoured the web for recent trade rumors involving his son. “I’m grateful for both organizations.”
“We’re thrilled he’s with the team he grew up with, but we loved being with the Cardinals,” he added. “The people there are just amazing. They made us feel like family. They call it baseball heaven and it’s pretty dang close to that.”
Stephen signed a $33.5 million, sixyear contract in May. He bought a home near St. Louis five months ago but stays with his parents during the offseason. He was golfing at Pebble Beach Thursday morning when he got word of the trade.
“There’s been a huge outpouring of support,” Stephen Piscotty said during a conference call Friday. “It’s really humbling and cool to see. Our family just feels so loved in a tough time.”
Oakland general manager David Forst was quick to say that acquiring Stephen Piscotty was a “baseball trade,” but Gretchen was also conflicted after finding out about the deal with life-altering ramifications.
“I guess I would say it was bittersweet,” she said. “I wasn’t 100 percent sure how to feel about it. The Cardinals have been really good to Stephen and good to us. We made a lot of friends there. I feel like one of the luckiest people to have been able to experience their hospitality. I still have immense gratitude that they drafted Stephen back in June 2012.
“But then my phone just blew up with congratulations that he was coming home,” Gretchen added. “I thought about how it will be easier for all of our friends and family to come see him play. (And) it will be nice to not have to fly on a plane to go see him play. It will be nice to have him around and closer to home.”
She then paused before laughing, “So I said, ‘OK, I guess it’s a good thing.’”
It was certainly good for Mike Piscotty’s wardrobe budget — he proudly pointed out he’s already got all the A’s clothing he needs. He’s accumulated plenty of gear as an A’s season ticket holder the past 22 years, when he’s taken Gretchen and his boys, Nick, Stephen and Austin to hundreds of games at the Coliseum.
It doesn’t matter that as an A’s player now his son can provide him with free tickets, Mike has no intention of giving up those season tickets. In fact, he’s quite certain more of his friends are going to want to join his seasonticket group.
The man who still gets goose bumps when talking about how the A’s rallied down the stretch to win the 2013 AL West title can’t wait to get that feeling back while watching his son.
“The way I felt sitting there and watching Stephen play in the playoffs (with the Cardinals) for the first time, I’ve felt that same way having been an A’s fan,” Mike said. “I hope Stephen and their young group of players can get them back to that point.”
But for now, it’s the offseason. And the offseason is family vacation time for the Piscottys.
First up is a trip to Las Vegas, Nev., in January, where Mike has to attend a business seminar for his work at the Lawrence Livermore National Lab. Then comes family fun time there. As fate would have it in this magical time for the Piscottys, the keynote speaker in Vegas — who was hired some time ago — is the man who helped the family’s dream come true, Stephen’s new boss, Billy Beane.
The Piscotty family also recently visited St. Louis to see the Budweiser Clydesdales because Gretchen loves horses, a trip the outfielder called “just so special.”
“Things have definitely gotten a little more challenging, but to be honest my dad has worked his tail off and has kind of got out ahead of a lot of things. We’ve been working with insurance and getting all the right medications, equipment,” Stephen Piscotty said. “I feel like we’re in a really good place. I give my dad so much credit. He’s worked so hard — so has my whole family really. We’re at a point we’ve got things pretty dialed in. We can move around and go places. … That will give me a lot of comfort and peace of mind knowing that I’m close. So hopefully that takes a little bit of pressure off me and I can relax and play and have fun.”