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When you think of some of the top pitchers of the 80???s names like Dave Stewart, Dennis Eckersley and Nolan Ryan come to mind. Very rarely do you consider, or even remember Dave Dravecky. Nineteen years ago today Dravecky???s career ended as he broke his arm while pitching for the San Francisco Giants. His battle to fight cancer in retirement is better known, but I think a solid career is often overlooked. More importantly we can learn from his battle and comeback. For those contemporary fans in the audience, Dave Dravecky was a left-handed pitcher who played professionally for eight years with the San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants. He didn???t throw hard but was more the crafty lefty in the mold of Tom Glavine. Some of his career highlights were pitching two scoreless innings in the 1983 All Star Game, playing in the 1984 World Series and nearly beating the St. Louis Cardinals singlehandedly in the 1987 NLCS. In 25 post-season innings, Dave Dravecky allowed only 1 earned run! He seemed to elevate his game when it was on the biggest stage. That would come in handy later in his career when he faced a challenge much bigger then post-season baseball. Although he only won 64 games in his career, the fact that he was essentially a .500 pitcher doesn???t diminish the inspiration his story can provide. In 1988 Dravecky was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor in his arm. We all know how difficult it is for pitchers to come back from Tommy John surgery, rotator cuffs, and torn labrums, but how about a guy that had half his deltoid muscle, which is most responsible for slowing the arm down at the end of the throwing motion, removed? Doctors believed he would be lucky to play catch with his kids. When it comes to cancer, baseball is usually the last thing on someone???s mind. Dravecky wasn???t deterred, and he began the process of returning to professional baseball. Despite the doctor???s prognosis, Dave made it back to the mound on August 10th, 1989. That day he pitched eight innings of three-run ball. Going into the eighth, he had only allowed one hit! It appeared that Dravecky was going to prove the experts wrong and continue his playing career. Nineteen years ago today, Dave Dravecky took the mound against the Montreal Expos. In the sixth, with the Giants leading 3-0, Dravecky broke his arm on a pitch to Tim Raines. His career was over, but the story had just begun. Unfortunately, the cancer had returned. Less than two years later, doctors had to amputate his arm to save his life. Like any other person dealing with loss of career and a life threatening disease, Dave went through a personal struggle to cope. Rather than succumb to his situation, he used it to build a career as an author and motivational speaker. Today he is president of a ministry called The Outreach of Hope, which helps those suffering get through their turbulent times. When I interviewed Dave on NY Baseball Digest Radio, you could tell he was appreciative of his career and enjoyed sharing his story of recovery with the listeners. In a season where we have discussed managers getting fired, big free agent money, and the petty politics of baseball???s elite, Dravecky???s story brings perspective back to what baseball really is: a game. So if you???re a baseball fan today, think of the Dave Dravecky story and perhaps we could take a step back from the pennant race and remember a man, not for his statistics, but for the inspiration he did and continues to provide. Mike Silva is a freelance writer and radio host. His is the host of a New York baseball show called NY Baseball Digest that you can find at www.nybaseballdigest.com.