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Dravecky returns home with a message
By Gary Housteau
GREENFORD TOWNSHIP
Boardman native Dave Dravecky was back home on Father’s Day delivering an inspiring message about his own life’s major league journey to the congregation of the Greenford Christian Church.
“It’s been wonderful to be able to see friends and family,” the former Major League Baseball pitcher said. “That’s what home is.
“It’s not necessarily a destination, it’s where the people that you love are,” Dravecky said.
In 1978, the Boardman High School and Youngstown State University graduate was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates. He made the majors with the San Diego Padres in 1982 and pitched in the 1984 World Series. In 1987, Dravecky was traded to the San Francisco Giants.
Arm problems in 1988 led to a cancer diagnosis that ended Dravecky’s MLB career.
“I got to tell you, I was scared,” Dravecky said. “All I could think about is we need to pray.”
Saturday marked the 25th anniversary of his left arm being amputated.
“If there is anything that you walk away with this morning it’s understanding the love of God that he has for you through his son Jesus Christ on your worst day,” Dravecky said. “And remember this, it’s not what you do that matters most. It’s who you are.
“I’m in a much healthier place than I’ve ever been,” Dravecky said. “And what I’ve learned is that is the journey of life and so it’s going to ebb and flow.
“And I’m reminded on my worst day I’m loved even more than I can comprehend. And when I remind my self of that, there are less worst days and more good days.”
Today, Turlock, Calif., just south of Modesto, is home for the Dravecky family.
“We settled there because of grandkids and I work for the Giants,” he said. “I started working for the Giants five years ago in PR as a community ambassador, and what they have basically allowed me to do is to go and do my traveling and speaking with my motivational stuff and then the non-profit that [wife] Jan and I have, our ministry.”
That non-profit, “Endurance With Jan And Dave Dravecky,” can be accessed at www.endurance.org, where information about his life’s journey and the site’s mission can be found.
“We provide comfort, encouragement and hope to those who hurt,” Dravecky said. “It’s for anyone but mostly with cancer and amputation and depression, that’s where our focus is. But we work with many people who go through physical affliction.”
Dravecky used his baseball card as a metaphor to describe everyone’s individual journey.
“There’s a story that’s being written in everyone of our lives. And it’s a beautiful story,” Dravecky said. “Unfortunately, sometimes we don’t see it that way.”
From the class of 1974 at Boardman to the one-time college walk-on at YSU, Dravecky has an impressive set of stats.
“There are so many memories from Youngstown,” he said. “From Boardman High school and from growing up as a kid and going to Boardman Park and playing Little League baseball with guys that I was great friends with all the way through high school and into college at Youngstown State University, and having a wonderful experience there and then going on.
“And even though I haven’t been back much you’re always out there representing the place that you were born and raised. And it’s wonderful to be able to do that and to come back to the area.”
Dravecky was impressed with the growth of Youngs-town and what he saw when he was touring that area.
“There’s just so many cool things to see and it’s really good to be back,” Dravecky said.