Dave Dravecky plays for His team

Dave Dravecky is a man of many words. Baseball, politics, fishing, travel, whatever topic you can think of, he will be happy to discuss it with you. To see Dravecky’s eyes really light up, however, don’t ask him about whom he hit his solo home run off of, or how he threw his four-seam fastball. No, what really drives Dravecky, his passion in life, is something more than that.

To meet the real Dave Dravecky, ask him about his faith.

I was very fortunate to have the opportunity this week to go to dinner with Dravecky, along with two of my professors, and talk with the man behind the San Francisco Giants jersey. Dravecky was a left-handed pitcher for the San Diego Padres from 1982 to 1987, and was then traded to the Giants in July 1987. He was selected for the National League All-Star team in 1983, an incredible accomplishment for any professional baseball player.

Now, this is where the story gets a little rough. During the 1988 season with the Giants, it was discovered that Dravecky had cancer in his left arm, tragically, as he was a southpaw. Doctors removed half of his deltoid muscle, adamant that he would never pitch again.

Then came the comeback. In 1989, Dravecky returned to professional baseball. The fans were ecstatic to see a story of triumph, of overcoming a seemingly insurmountable obstacle to once again dawn the black and orange.

And then it happened: “the pitch that could be heard around the world.” Just days after Dravecky’s return, his arm broke on a fateful pitch, snapping his humerus cleanly in two. After tests were run, it was found that the cancer had returned. Eventually, his left arm and shoulder were amputated.

This is where we begin to see the real Dravecky. Faith is what has motivated the former Giant to use his story in an effort to reach out to a younger generation.

What sparked Dravecky’s interest, I found, wasn’t when I asked about his analysis of scouting reports. What really hit home was, “Were you able to incorporate your faith into the clubhouse during your career?”

He looked at me with a smile. Where to begin?

Dravecky spoke about how he lived his life as a Christian baseball player just as that: a Christian. Sure, he often faced ridicule in the hardnosed world of America’s pastime, but he was driven to live his life in a way that honored that which he cherished. Dravecky lived out his career in a Christian manner, using his own life as an example that others could look upon, yearning for the faith that he had.

Dravecky said to me one of the greatest compliments he had ever received was years later, when he found that former Giants teammate Goose Gossage said that Dave Dravecky had one of the strongest Christian faiths that he had ever seen.

Today, Dravecky uses his life in a different role. He no longer stares down batters from the mound, but reaches out to people in an effort help them realize the love and forgiveness available through Jesus Christ. He will joke with you about how he often warmed up with a mere 15 throws, but then will connect his career and success to God’s grace and will.

As we left the restaruant, I came to a realization: Dravecky’s story is one that inspires us all, but the author is not Dravecky.

Column originally published in the April 15, 2011 edition of The Franklin.