Comeback

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.

In the face of adversity, faith in God will see you through. That's the moral of the story. Dave Dravecky was a baseball player. A pitcher. That was all he ever wanted to be. And he was good at it. Good enough to pitch in the major leagues. But when a cancerous tumor was found in his pitching arm it looked like his career was over. Or was it? The Dravecky family had faith in God. They placed their future and Dave's career in His hands. Placing faith in God is always the right thing to do and Dravecky's story is a testimony to that fact. Against all odds, against all expectations, Dave Dravecky overcame the loss of his deltoid muscle and worked his way through the minor leagues back up to the major leagues. Comeback is a story of triumph over impossible odds. Ronald Reagan said of Dravecky, "The remarkable faith and courage he has shown is an inspiration to us all." So it is. Judging by the cover and the man who wrote it you may think this is a book about baseball. It's not. Comeback is a story about a man and his faith in God. Comeback is a story about God's work in one man's life. Dave Dravecky's story is deeply inspirational and his book should be found on every Christian bookshelf.

I've always been a big Dave Dravecky Fan, and I knew his story from what I read in the news and saw during the events of this time period. Reading about his life, his thoughts and insights on the world around him was inspirational. He loved baseball so much, that he did whatever it took to be the best. Dravecky was a man of great faith-he makes many references to thanking Jesus Christ for the opportunities and never blamed Him for the obstacles. His never say die attitude is one I wish more athletes and general public would adapt as their own.This book follows a timeline from his childhood and minor league struggles (briefly) to his major league success and then his battle with cancer in his deltoid muscle, and finally, his return to baseball. It is a very quick read and one of the better athlete autobiographies I have read.

A must read for every athlete - both Christian and non-Christian. Dave is an inspriation. I have read the book six times over the years and have never found a book by an athlete better. To top it off, Dave is as nice of a guy in person as he is in his book.

A very uplifting book about Mr Dravecky's battle with cancer. More than just an athlete centered book, this details his struggles and triumphs with this very debilitating disease.