Dave Dravecky

David Francis Dravecky (born February 14, 1956) is an American former professional baseball player, a motivational speaker, and an author.

Dravecky was born on February 14, 1956, in Youngstown, Ohio.

He has four brothers.

Dravecky graduated from Boardman High School in Youngstown and from Youngstown State University, where he played baseball and basketball.

Dravecky was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1978.

The Pirates traded him to the San Diego Padres in 1981.

A left-handed pitcher, Dravecky played Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padres (1982–87) and the San Francisco Giants (1987–89).

Dravecky made his Major League debut on June 15, 1982, for the Padres.

Pitching as a starter and as a reliever, he amassed a 5-3 record and a 2.57 earned run average.

He was named an All-Star with the Padres in 1983 and played in the 1984 World Series.

Dravecky represented the Padres at the 1983 All-Star Game, pitching two scoreless innings and striking out George Brett.

He started 28 games in 1983, finishing the season with a 14-10 record and an earned run average of 3.58.

Dravecky became friends with two other Padres pitchers, Eric Show and Mark Thurmond.

Dravecky, Show, and Thurmond all held strong Christian beliefs.

In the spring of 1984, Show recruited Dravecky and Thurmond to the John Birch Society, a far-right US political organization.

The three players were the subjects of wide reporting after they distributed Birch literature from a booth at the June 1984 Del Mar Fair.

Dravecky stated he saw Birch beliefs as the "natural outgrowth" of a born-again Christian philosophy.

In 1984, the Padres won their first National League pennant.

The Padres won a come-from-behind victory over the Chicago Cubs in Game Five of the National League Championship Series, with Dravecky and three other relievers shutting out the Cubs over a combined seven and two-thirds innings of work.

Used as a starter and as a reliever, Dravecky finished the season with a 9-8 record, an earned run average of 2.93, and eight saves.

In the 1984 postseason, Dravecky appeared out of the bullpen in five games without giving up an earned run.

The Padres lost the World Series to the Detroit Tigers, four games to one.

Dravecky won a total of 22 games for the Padres over the 1985 and 1986 seasons.

In 1987, the Associated Press wrote that Dravecky was better known for his association with the John Birch Society than he was for his pitching.

On July 4, 1987, the San Francisco Giants acquired Dravecky, pitcher Craig Lefferts, and third baseman Kevin Mitchell from the San Diego Padres for pitchers Keith Comstock, Mark Davis, and Mark Grant and third baseman Chris Brown for their pennant drive.

Dravecky went 7–5 with three shutouts following the trade, helping the Giants to win their division.

In the 1987 National League Championship Series, Dravecky pitched a shutout in Game Two against the St. Louis Cardinals and lost Game Six by a score of 1–0.

The Cardinals won the series in seven games.

While with the Giants, Dravecky and teammates Scott Garrelts, Atlee Hammaker, and Jeff Brantley became known as the "God Squad" because of their strong Christian faith.

Foregoing the hard-partying lifestyle of many of their teammates, they preferred to hold Bible studies in their hotel rooms while on the road.

In September 1988, Dravecky was diagnosed with a desmoid tumor in his left arm.

He underwent surgery the following month.

Dravecky was the Giants' opening day starter in 1988, defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-1.

Shortly thereafter, he noticed stiffness in his pitching arm and was placed on the disabled list.

In September of 1988, Dravecky was diagnosed with a desmoid tumor in his left (pitching) arm.

Dravecky returned to pitch for the Giants in August 1989 and won his first Major League game of the season.

In his second start of the year, Dravecky 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 an author.

He has written three books.