Dravecky to speak at 49th OAA dinner in Modesto

Dave Dravecky often says, “It’s not what you do that matters most, it is who you are.”

Dravecky, the Turlock resident and former San Francisco Giants pitcher whose story of hope and resilience has inspired fans across the country, will be the guest speaker at the 49th Outstanding Athlete Awards Dinner.

The dinner, which will recognize Stanislaus County’s top athletes of 2015 among other honorees, will be held Wednesday night, April 6, at the Sportsmen of Stanislaus Club.

Dravecky, 60, pitched for the San Diego Padres from 1982 to ‘87 and the Giants from ‘87 to 89. In ‘88, cancer was discovered in his left (pitching) arm, and half of the deltoid muscle was removed that fall.

A year later, he defied his doctors and pitched again, a 4-3 Giants win. His comeback lasted five days. He released a pitch and tumbled to the ground, his arm broken and his career over.

Dravecky fractured his arm for the second time during the Giants’ celebration of their 1989 National League pennant. A doctor examining his x-rays noticed a mass in his arm, which turned out to be malignant.

In June of 1991 – knowing the spread of the cancer might threaten Dravecky’s life – his left arm along with his shoulder blade and the left side of his collarbrone was amputated.

From that heartbreak and physical setback, Dravecky found a new calling. Since 1991, he’s become a motivational speaker and an author of three books.

“My story is one of finding hope, courage and perseverance in the midst of dark and overwhelming uncertainty,” he’s written.

For ticket information on the OAA dinner, call 578-5801.

This story was originally published March 8, 2016 at 5:05 PM with the headline "Dravecky to speak at 49th OAA dinner in Modesto."