Warsaw Welcomes Former Pitcher Dave Dravecky On Good Friday
April 16, 2022 at 12:56 a.m.
Warsaw Welcomes Former Pitcher Dave Dravecky On Good Friday
By Connor McCann-
Starting by giving an Easter blessing, Dravecky went on to speak about his journey both on and off the field. Once a walk-on at Youngstown State University, Dravecky made his major league debut for the San Diego Padres in 1982 and made the National League All-Star team a season later. He was traded to the San Francisco Giants in 1987, as he joked in his speech, “I got traded from the last place team in the division to the first place team. Maybe they hoped I could turn them into the last place team.”
A year later, a cancerous desmoid tumor was found in Dravecky’s pitching arm. He underwent surgery on October 7, 1988, removing half of the deltoid muscle in his arm and freezing the humerus bone. According to Dravecky, doctors told him he was done pitching “outside of a miracle.”
“When the doctor tells you cancer… I had an out of body experience for a second. I thought about so many things, I wondered if someone was going to marry my wife and take care of my kids. What if they loved them less? But what if they loved them more?” he said.
By July of 1989, Dravecky was on his comeback trail. While in the minors, he was briefly teammates with Bryan Hickerson, Parkview Warsaw YMCA’s Director of Sports and Recreation, in San Jose. On August 10, 1989, Dravecky made his return to the major leagues, pitching eight innings in a 4-3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.
“I’ll never forget that day, getting ready to get on the mound at Candlestick Park after that physical, emotional, spiritual battle,” Dravecky said, holding up his 1989 baseball card. “This reminds me of that day and the special thing God was doing in my life.
Dravecky’s comeback was short-lived. Just five days later, in the sixth inning of his start against Montreal, his humerus bone snapped on his first pitch to Tim Raines. The sound of it breaking could reportedly be heard throughout the stadium. Not long after, he would learn his cancer had returned. He would never pitch again. He retired with a 64-57 record and a 3.13 ERA.
In 1991, after two more surgeries and the cancer continuing to return, Dravecky had his left arm and shoulder amputated. He began a new career as a motivational speaker, and his speech in Winona Lake has been “three years in the making,” according to YMCA CEO Jim Swanson.
Dravecky talked frequently about his closeness to God, who he credits for helping him in his comeback as well as in adjusting to his life after baseball. He credited his finding of Jesus to his roommate as a minor leaguer in Amarillo, Texas, as a minor leaguer.
“I ran into his love, and what I discovered was that I wasn’t pursuing him, he was pursuing me,” Dravecky said. “So many people in this world think so little of themselves that they can’t smile at themselves in the mirror. In reality, we are all his masterpieces.”
He mixed in some humor into his speech as well, mentioning how he was traded to San Diego not long after finding out from a teammate that the Padres’ Triple-A affiliate was located in Hawaii. He talked about how honored he was to be the Opening Day starter for the Giants in 1988 against their rival Dodgers.
“The pitching was fun, I enjoyed it. But there is nothing better than a pitcher hitting a double off of Fernando Valenzuela. It felt so good,” Dravecky said to a roar of laughter.
What followed was a short rant about the National League adopting the designated hitter this season.
Dravecky closed his speech by tearing his baseball card in half, explaining he didn’t need it to demonstrate his worth. He reassured the audience he had at least 2,000 more at home. He also challenged his audience, asking them to let God into their lives.
“I am here because of him. I am here because of the seed that has been planted by the wonderful YMCA you have here,” Dravecky said. “Hold on to all you’ve got. Fight for it.”
Starting by giving an Easter blessing, Dravecky went on to speak about his journey both on and off the field. Once a walk-on at Youngstown State University, Dravecky made his major league debut for the San Diego Padres in 1982 and made the National League All-Star team a season later. He was traded to the San Francisco Giants in 1987, as he joked in his speech, “I got traded from the last place team in the division to the first place team. Maybe they hoped I could turn them into the last place team.”
A year later, a cancerous desmoid tumor was found in Dravecky’s pitching arm. He underwent surgery on October 7, 1988, removing half of the deltoid muscle in his arm and freezing the humerus bone. According to Dravecky, doctors told him he was done pitching “outside of a miracle.”
“When the doctor tells you cancer… I had an out of body experience for a second. I thought about so many things, I wondered if someone was going to marry my wife and take care of my kids. What if they loved them less? But what if they loved them more?” he said.
By July of 1989, Dravecky was on his comeback trail. While in the minors, he was briefly teammates with Bryan Hickerson, Parkview Warsaw YMCA’s Director of Sports and Recreation, in San Jose. On August 10, 1989, Dravecky made his return to the major leagues, pitching eight innings in a 4-3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.
“I’ll never forget that day, getting ready to get on the mound at Candlestick Park after that physical, emotional, spiritual battle,” Dravecky said, holding up his 1989 baseball card. “This reminds me of that day and the special thing God was doing in my life.
Dravecky’s comeback was short-lived. Just five days later, in the sixth inning of his start against Montreal, his humerus bone snapped on his first pitch to Tim Raines. The sound of it breaking could reportedly be heard throughout the stadium. Not long after, he would learn his cancer had returned. He would never pitch again. He retired with a 64-57 record and a 3.13 ERA.
In 1991, after two more surgeries and the cancer continuing to return, Dravecky had his left arm and shoulder amputated. He began a new career as a motivational speaker, and his speech in Winona Lake has been “three years in the making,” according to YMCA CEO Jim Swanson.
Dravecky talked frequently about his closeness to God, who he credits for helping him in his comeback as well as in adjusting to his life after baseball. He credited his finding of Jesus to his roommate as a minor leaguer in Amarillo, Texas, as a minor leaguer.
“I ran into his love, and what I discovered was that I wasn’t pursuing him, he was pursuing me,” Dravecky said. “So many people in this world think so little of themselves that they can’t smile at themselves in the mirror. In reality, we are all his masterpieces.”
He mixed in some humor into his speech as well, mentioning how he was traded to San Diego not long after finding out from a teammate that the Padres’ Triple-A affiliate was located in Hawaii. He talked about how honored he was to be the Opening Day starter for the Giants in 1988 against their rival Dodgers.
“The pitching was fun, I enjoyed it. But there is nothing better than a pitcher hitting a double off of Fernando Valenzuela. It felt so good,” Dravecky said to a roar of laughter.
What followed was a short rant about the National League adopting the designated hitter this season.
Dravecky closed his speech by tearing his baseball card in half, explaining he didn’t need it to demonstrate his worth. He reassured the audience he had at least 2,000 more at home. He also challenged his audience, asking them to let God into their lives.
“I am here because of him. I am here because of the seed that has been planted by the wonderful YMCA you have here,” Dravecky said. “Hold on to all you’ve got. Fight for it.”
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