Comeback

by Dave Dravecky, Tim Stafford

The moment was electric and unforgettable. Less than one year after cancer surgery on Dave Dravecky's pitching arm, the San Francisco Giants pitcher came back to take the mound once again. And won. Five days later, he won again . . . but tragically broke his arm. Then he broke his arm again during an on-field celebration after the Giant's won the National League Championship. In Comeback, Dravecky recounts his exciting career, from the minors to winter ball, to the majors and the earthquake-halted 1989 World Series. Dravecky has met heartbreak at every turn with determination and faith. A rallying symbol for cancer patients and anyone facing hardship, Dravecky talks about the faith that has helped him through the ordeals that ended his career and threatened his life. Millions of TV fans witnessed Dave Dravecky's unforgettable comeback. Millions more will embrace his monumental story.

Genres: Sports, Biography, Baseball, Nonfiction, Memoir, Christian, Autobiography

252 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1990

Reviews

[Mateo Don Nuez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspirational

Being involved in baseball all my life and recently being reborn in Jesus Christ totally reinforced my belief and has put my life in perspective.

[John Yelverton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very inspirational story that just makes you wish it had a happier ending.

[Ryan Eaton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I happened to be at that game in Montreal in August 1989. I don’t remember much of that game, but I will always remember the pitcher who suddenly collapsed on the field. I didn’t know who he was or what had happened but something had always drawn me to Dave Dravecky after that happened. I have read this book many times and knowing how things turned out later and in his book when you can’t come back, he is one of my childhood hero’s and still is to this day. His battle and courage is very much like Terry Fox and many others

[Ben Kindall · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the more enjoyable reads and inspirational stories in baseball history even if it doesn’t have a “happy ending.” Was also very interesting to read his perspective on everything knowing that the cancer ended up returning in 92’ and he had to have his entire arm amputated soon after.

[Phillip · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a very easy read, but it still took me a while to do so because of working two jobs. I don't have much free time. Honestly, I didn't expect much depth to this man's spiritual conversion or testimony, but I did sense a genuine relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. This book is worthwhile to read. Enjoy!

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this back in the 90s when it first came out and decided to re-read it. Very enjoyable and inspirational. One of the few baseball books I've read that occasionally brought a tear to my eye. Dave Dravecky was pitcher with the San Francisco Giants in the late 80s. This book chronicles his two year journey through the diagnosis of a cancerous tumour in his pitching arm, and his comeback to the major leagues. Dravecky gives high praise to his wife and a few key teammates for helping him through his ordeal, but he saves his greatest praise for Jesus Christ. He is not shy to display his short-comings, and he doesn't mince words about how he feels about athletes who pay lip service to religion and who thank God for a victory in a game, as opposed to those who genuinely live out their faith daily. He also highlights how some in the media wrestled with his vocal expression of faith throughout his comeback. Throughout the book, Dravecky shows his growth in his faith and his submission to God's plan for his life even when events don't seem to be making sense. Dravecky brings the reader along on a very personal journey which is well worth the read. Baseball fans will enjoy it most, but even non-fans will, I think, be inspired.

[Vincent Waldron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Comeback is a short account of Dave Dravecky's story. It mainly covers his time in baseball -- both the minor and major leagues and focuses on his experience following a surgery to remove a desmoid tumor from the humerus of his throwing arm.

The book is a short read. The story is intriguing and at the same time horrifying. I remember the details of the story. I was a Reds' fan and when he came back and won versus them, I was disappointed that the Reds lost, but also glad that Dravecky had made it -- overcoming adversity to pitch again in the major leagues.

Intertwined in the story is Dravecky's own faith journey and the ways in which he dealt with adversity and moved forward.

The book isn't terribly well written. I love baseball stories and the best written ones have a way of drawing you in to the scene -- the battle between pitcher and hitter. This book is more about setting down facts -- what therapy Dravecky had, when he had pain, and then what he felt afterward. I could have wished for quite a bit more, but I think it is good enough to let you understand the first part of his journey from journey man pitcher to opening game starter for the 1988 Giants to having his career cut short through surgery.

[Timothy Rooney · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an entertaining, compelling, quick, reasonable read. The book sat on my shelf for years, unread out of annoyance that it was a testimonial book written to convert me to Christianity. Now that is not the primary goal of the book, but it is certainly a very significant point.

Thankfully, the book covers exciting baseball moments, sad medical moments, heartwarming (as well as heartwrenching) family scenes, and just a range of vignettes.

Also, at 252 pages, the story is a little long. There are 20-40 pages near the end that somewhat drag. We already know enough about his family and journey so a section or two becomes tedious, and I found myself saying, "Yeah, we know! You've already established that. Now get somewhere new!"

Not having read too many baseball stories, this is an easy read. Again, be prepared for numerous references to his christian journey.

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some SF Giants baseball history that I did not know about. Dave Dravecky's story is really miraculous and he gives the credit to God. Amazing. Due to my own battle with illness, it's always great to hear how others deal with adversity and overcome. And I loved the small cameo by Mike Krukow, who it currently one of the Giants broadcasters, who I love! Also cool to read this during this season, when the Giants are doing so well!!

[Lynn Davidson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the true story of a star baseball player who had to deal with cancer in his pitching arm. Through his faith in God, and his courage and solid determination he came back from the seemingly impossible to play again. His ordeal wasn't over, though, and this is the story of all that and more. A great read.

[Lyndon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this fall of 1990. I remember it as a very interesting story, inspirational and motivational. I've gotten away from sports stories over the years, but should probably read a few more. Many are truly inspiring and offer a great witness to God's work in a person's life, Dravecky's included. 4 stars from back then, would probably still enjoy reading it today.

[LAMONT D · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had a tremendous impact on my life back when it came out. A huge story if you were a sports fan particularly of baseball. His faith journey as a Christian as he initially beat the odds to come back and pitch a major league baseball game was truly inspirational. I enjoyed going back to my personal library and reading this one again.

[Patrick Barry · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story of Dave Drevecky's comeback from cancer. Although broken arms put an end to his career, I googled him and am happy to report he is still alive at age 56. A decent summer baseball on the beach read.

[Mark Richardson · Rating 3 out of 5]

While inspirational. Dravecky's account of his battle with cancer comes off as preachy and more a religious explication than an autobiography. Very, very little about his teammates, except his devotion to his two Christian fellow Giants, Atlee Hammaker and Bob Knepper. OK, not great.

[Bryan J Guns · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Story

My 11 year old son and I love baseball and Jesus. Dave's story was inspirational and well written. My son and I could not put it down.

[Connor Owens · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was a pretty good book, the story of three different comebacks in the same career. even though the story is great the writing was boring and i lost interest at times but overall a solid book.

[Patrick MacDonald · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very inspirational book. Dave's career ended with an arm injury that was from cancer. His story is one everyone can gain something from. Highly recommend!

[Jodi Uplinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great testimony in this book. Fun to read as a family

[Michael Hall]

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[Sherri Bryant · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good book of one man's inspiring journey of survival and courage.

[Noel Williamson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspirational story!

[Daniel Madderom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story of faith in hard times.

[Zach Koenig · Rating 5 out of 5]

While reading this inspiring tale of Dave Dravecky's courageous fight to get back out on the pitching mound after having half his deltoid muscle removed due to cancer, I was struck with the book's ability to combine two topics that are often unrelated: sports (in this case baseball) and religion.

Basically, the book is a chronicle of Dravecky's entire career, but with the primary focus being on how (with his great faith in God) he was able to beat cancer and defy all odds by not only returning to the mound, but pitching like he belonged there all along. It is filled with stories not only relating to Dravecky's baseball career (in fact, only about a third of the book deals with baseball-related stories), but also about his relationship with the Lord and with his family, and how both of those loves kept him going when he was at his worst.

Perhaps the single best part of the book, though, was Dravecky's ability to write in such a simple, uncomplicated style. While reading, it felt as if I was sitting right in the room with Dave listening to him talk about his life. It didn't feel like it was too heavily ghost-written (a problem with many other sports memoirs) or contrived...just a straight-forward read.

Thus, if you are a sports fan of any kind who enjoys reading inspiring literature, this effort will quickly shoot to the top of your list, especially due to its easiness to pick up and dive right in.

[Philip Maiuri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dave Dravecky’s book is inspiring. It starts out of a young kid in high school not so outgoing and never suspect to going even to college yet alone the pros. He has a wayward motion -a submariner-sort of. He can get the ball across the plate so he is a pitcher. His coach and Pastor of his church meets a minor league pitcher that pitches similar to Dravecky and he learns -from him how he can help this young pitcher along by throwing at a lower motion where his pitching hand almost touches the mound when he throws. What he discovers is a faster pitch -harder for the batter to pick up and movement that is just enough for a batter to miss. He goes to college -marries his high school girl and i while in the minors searching for a better life he becomes a Born Again Christian. Soon his faith will become what gets him through the hardest years a young man and a pitcher can imagine.
He is surprisingly drafted (low) by the Padres and some how he impresses his coaches because he may not know how to throw heat but he throws fast enough and is crafty left handed pitcher and has good control =doesn’t walk many batters. He pitches 10 hitless innings in the ‘1984 World Series against the Detroit Tigers but they loose and he is traded to The Giants. In 1988 he keeps asking about a lump in his shoulder and is past off by team doctors but he insists and finds out he has a tumor in his pinching arm. With a diagnosis of removing the tumor and half his deltoid muscle he is told he will never pitch again. Guess what? In 4 months he is back throwing -slow but throwing and told he may pitch again. He goes through grueling training to throw again and returns to the mound and for the San Francisco Giants.
I will stop right there and let you read what happens next. But it is about a guy who won’t give up on his dream-his team -and a Savior that won’t give up on him.

[bamlinden · Rating 3 out of 5]

Raise your hand if you've heard the name Dave Dravecky. I had heard of him but unfortunately it was because of one specific pitch he threw against the Montreal Expos on August 15, 1989.

But this story begins a good bit before that.

Dave developed a cancerous tumor in his pitching arm that eventually required major surgery to remove. The surgery was so damaging to his arm (he was left with only half a deltoid muscle) that doctors told him it would take a miracle to pitch again.

Challenge accepted. We learn of Dravecky's career up to that point, the year of rehab to not only get use of his arm back - but eventually pitch in the majors and ultimately the fateful day where his progress took a permanent downturn.

There are lots of ups and downs in this read, lots of varied emotions and at times a bit of a confusing focus. There were times where I felt completely engaged in what was being said and where the story was going. Other times it felt as though subjects were being glossed over or generalized.

What I did find is that after reading Comeback, I went to do some research to find out what happened to Dave Dravecky. The story ends pretty abruptly in the 1990 area so there is much that isn't revealed.

Overall it's a pretty good read. I think it helped that I knew of Dravecky. He pitched at a time when I was most into baseball (late 80's early 90's). If you like books about overcoming adversity then you'd probably enjoy this read.

[Carson Kester · Rating 3 out of 5]

Personal Response
I liked this book because it showed just how difficult it is to return from injury. Sometimes we falsely think that athletes are superhuman and can heal faster. But at the end of the day, they're just regular people.
Plot Summary
The book is about Dave Dravecky's baseball career, focusing on the 1988 season when Dave was diagnosed with a cancerous desmoid tumor in his pitching arm. He undergoes surgery, which removes half of his deltoid muscle and freezes his humerus bone. Doctor's advise Dave to sit out the 1989 season, but he´s determined to make a comeback. After sometime in the minors, he returned to the major leagues and defeated Cincinnati 4–3 on August 10. Five days later in Montreal, Dravecky pitched three no-hit innings, but in the fifth inning, he felt a tingling sensation in his arm. Then, on his first pitch to Tim Raines, his humerus bone snapped. Dravecky collapsed on the mound. He'd suffered a clean break midway between his shoulder and elbow, ending his season. After recovering from the surgery, Dravecky went on to begin a new career as a motivational speaker.
Recommendations
I recommend this book to any baseball fans. This book shows a whole new level of difficulty to the pros, besides actually playing. It's also inspirational that after all that happened to him, Dave was still able to remain strong in his faith.

[Michael P. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the supposedly inspiring story of Dave Dravecky and his come back from cancer to pitch in the major leagues again. Two problems.

It is a god-squad book. Dravecky was one of those obnoxious players who said things such as, "I want to thank my Lord Jesus Christ" in interviews after he won a game. So, who should the non-religious players thank, dummy? Who should the players of the other team curse, moron?

Dravecky's comeback was short lived. He only pitched in a couple of games before the his arm broke while delivering a pitch as a result of the health problem supposedly fixed. I heard the game on the radio and the "crack" was loud and sickening. Dravecky was brave and inspiring until that moment. Then it was just sad.

Dravecky and Tim Stafford spin the story as the religious must by finding that everything works out for the best for those who love god and are called according to his purpose, and I am glad they can take comfort in that lie. This is a book for those who believe in the lie. For the rest of us, this lunacy and what happened to Mr. Dravecky is twisted. I would give the book two stars, but I am a Giants fan.

[Kaden Benson]

This book was very good. It was about a guy named Dave Dravecky, a pitcher for the San Fransisco Giants. In the middle of his career he discovered a lump on his arm. Dave decided to go to his trainer and get it checked out. His trainer said it was nothing to worry about and sent Dave to go work out. Dave soon discovered that that lump on his arm was cancer, but unlike any other athlete he decided to stay on the team, just sit out for some games. Dave got the cancer removed and came back to the game he loved, but it was a tough road to hoe. Dave did a couple weeks of chemotherapy to make sure all the cancer was gone from his body. The last game Dave played was actually the beginning of his comeback. He Retired from the game and is remembered by all San Fransisco Fans.

I rate this book 5/5

I would recommend this book to any baseball fan.

[Rusty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sometimes I pick up a book to read for a challenge that leaves food for thought in my mind and heart. Such is how this one affected me.

Dave Dravecky is a tremendously talented pitcher who played for the Giants. At the peak of his career a lump on his pitching arm was diagnosed as cancer. This is his story. It tells of his deep faith in Christ who guides his life, his career, his comeback and eventual retirement. How he deals with it all is indeed inspiring.

[Matt Black · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a great story of fighting through trials and tribulations of extreme circumstances and to overcome them with the power of Christ. Dravecky is not shy in sharing that his comeback to professional baseball after a battle with cancer can only be because of his relationship with Jesus. It is a wonderful and inspirational book.