| Dave Dravecky | |
|---|---|
 Dravecky with theSan Diego Padresc. 1983 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: (1956-02-14)February 14, 1956 (age 69) Youngstown, Ohio, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Left | |
| MLB debut | |
| June 15, 1982, for the San Diego Padres | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| August 15, 1989, for the San Francisco Giants | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 64–57 |
| Earned run average | 3.13 |
| Strikeouts | 558 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
David Francis Dravecky (born February 14, 1956) is an American former professionalbaseball player, motivational speaker, and author. A left-handed pitcher, Dravecky playedMajor League Baseball (MLB) for theSan Diego Padres (1982–87) and theSan Francisco Giants (1987–89). He was named anAll-Star in 1983 and played with the Padres in the1984 World Series.
In September 1988, Dravecky was diagnosed with adesmoid tumor in his left arm. He underwent surgery the following month. Dravecky returned to pitch for the Giants in August 1989 and won his first major league start of the season. In his second start, he broke his arm throwing a pitch. He retired from baseball after the season and, following a cancer recurrence, had his left arm amputated in 1991.
Following his baseball career, Dravecky became a motivational speaker and author. He has written three books.
Dravecky was born on February 14, 1956, in Youngstown, Ohio.[1] He has three brothers and a sister.[2] Dravecky graduated fromBoardman High School in Youngstown[3] and fromYoungstown State University,[4] where he played baseball and basketball.[5]
ThePittsburgh Pirates drafted Dravecky in the 21st round of the1978 Major League Baseball draft.[6] The Pirates traded him to theSan Diego Padres on April 5, 1981 for Bobby Mitchell.[5][7]
Dravecky made his major league debut on June 15, 1982, for the Padres.[8] Pitching as a starter and as a reliever, he amassed a 5–3 record and a 2.57 earned run average (ERA).[1]
Dravecky represented the Padres at the1983 All-Star Game, pitching two scoreless innings and striking outGeorge Brett.[8] He started 28 games in 1983, finishing the season with a 14–10 record and 3.58 ERA.[1]
Dravecky became friends with two other Padres pitchers,Eric Show andMark Thurmond. Dravecky, Show, and Thurmond all held strong Christian beliefs. In the spring of 1984, Show recruited Dravecky and Thurmond to theJohn Birch Society, afar-right US political organization. The three players were the subjects of wide reporting after they distributed Birch literature from a booth at the June 1984Del Mar Fair.[9][10][11] Dravecky stated he saw Birch beliefs as the "natural outgrowth" of aborn-again Christian philosophy.[12] In 1987, theAssociated Press wrote that Dravecky was better known for his association with the John Birch Society than he was for his pitching.[13]
In1984, the Padres won their first National League pennant. The Padres won a come-from-behind victory over theChicago Cubs in Game 5 of theNational League Championship Series, with Dravecky and three other relievers shutting out the Cubs over a combined7+2⁄3 innings.[14] Used as a starter and as a reliever, Dravecky finished the regular season with a 9–8 record, an earned run average of 2.93, and eight saves. In the1984 postseason, Dravecky appeared out of the bullpen in five games without allowing a run.[15] The Padres lost theWorld Series to theDetroit Tigers, four games to one.[16]
Dravecky won 22 games for the Padres over the 1985 and 1986 seasons.[1]
On July 4, 1987, theSan Francisco Giants acquired Dravecky, pitcherCraig Lefferts, and third basemanKevin Mitchell from the Padres for pitchersKeith Comstock,Mark Davis, andMark Grant and third basemanChris Brown for their pennant drive. Dravecky went 7–5 with three shutouts following the trade, helping the Giants to win the NL West. In the1987 National League Championship Series, Dravecky pitched ashutout in Game Two against theSt. Louis Cardinals and lost Game Six by a score of 1–0.[17][15] The Cardinals won the series in seven games.
While with the Giants, Dravecky and teammatesScott Garrelts,Atlee Hammaker, andJeff Brantley became known as the "God Squad" because of their strong Christian faith. Foregoing the hard-partying lifestyle of some of their teammates, they preferred to hold Bible studies in their hotel rooms while on the road.[18]
Dravecky was the Giants'opening day starter in 1988, defeating theLos Angeles Dodgers 5–1.[19] Shortly thereafter, he noticed stiffness in his pitching arm and was placed on thedisabled list.[8]
In September 1988, Dravecky was diagnosed with adesmoid tumor[20] in his left (pitching) arm.[21][22][23] On October 7, he underwent a surgical procedure in which half of thedeltoid muscle in his left arm was removed and hishumerus bone was frozen in an effort to eliminate all of the cancerous cells.[24][25]
Doctors advised Dravecky to wait until 1990 to pitch again, but Dravecky was determined to pitch in 1989.[24][25] By July 1989, he was pitching in theminors, and on August 10, he made a highly publicized return to the major leagues, pitching eight innings and defeating theCincinnati Reds 4–3.[26][27] In his following start, on August 15, 1989,[28] Dravecky faced theMontreal Expos. In the fifth inning, he felt a tingling sensation in his arm. In the sixth inning, when he threw a pitch toTim Raines, his humerus bone snapped. The sound of his arm breaking could be heard throughoutOlympic Stadium. Dravecky collapsed on the mound; he had suffered a clean break midway between his shoulder and elbow, ending his season.[25][29][30][31] Dravecky was credited with the win in the Giants' 3–2 victory.[25]
TheGiants won theNational League pennant in1989, defeating theChicago Cubs in the NLCS in five games. On October 9, 1989,[32] Dravecky's left arm was broken a second time when he was running out to the mound to celebrate the Giants' 3–2 victory in Game 5.[33][34] The Giants went on to lose theWorld Series to theOakland Athletics, four games to none.[35] After a doctor found a lump in Dravecky's left arm, he opted to retire from baseball on November 13, 1989 to avoid risking further injury.[32][36]
Dravecky ended his career with a 64–57 record with 558strikeouts and a 3.13earned run average in1,062+2⁄3 innings.[1] He won the 1989Willie Mac Award honoring his spirit and leadership[37] and the 1989Hutch Award.[38]
Dravecky underwent arm surgeries in January and May 1990, after which his cancer was found to have returned.[39] On June 18, 1991, less than two years after his comeback with the Giants, Dravecky's left arm and shoulder wereamputated.[40] After recovering from the surgery, Dravecky began a new career as a motivational speaker.[8]
Dravecky wrote two books about his battles with cancer and his comeback attempt:Comeback (1990), written with Tim Stafford,[41] andWhen You Can't Come Back (1992), co-authored with his wife Janice and Ken Gire.Comeback was republished as a self-titled autobiography for children in 1992. Dravecky has also written a Christian motivational book,Called Up, published in 2004 byZondervan.[8]
Dravecky and his wife, Janice, have two children.[42] Dravecky is a Christian.[43][44][45]
In 2021, indie-folk artist Cousin Wolf released a song entitled "Dave Dravecky" as part of an album called "Nine Innings."[46]
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