The Week That Was:
Won 2, lost 2 against the Brewers.
Won 1, lost 2 against the Orioles.
52-65 for the season; 5th Place in the NL West, 15 games back.
The Week That Will Be:
Tue: at Washington against the Nationals.
Wed: at Washington against the Nationals.
Thu: at Washington against the Nationals.
Fri: at Miami against the Marlins.
Sat: at Miami against the Marlins.
Sun: at Miami against the Marlins.
I’ve only seen the clip once, a few years ago, and even that was too much to bear. The Giants were playing in Montreal at Olympic Stadium and so the TV screen was filled with the awful green color of artificial turf. Dave Dravecky stood on the mound, got into his wind-up, and threw
Here’s a weird fact: The Giants have sent 66 players to the Hall of Fame, more than any other team by far. Most of those were from the New York days, but still! That’s a fact that’ll win you many pints over the years, guaranteed. Christy Mathewson, Willie Mays, Willie McCovey. They are the gods. Then you have the players who will never make it into the hall, but are enshrined in the hearts of all Giants fans. Will Clark. Love him. Loooove him. Kevin Mitchell, John Burkett, Rod Beck, Kirk Reuter, Matt Williams. They weren’t the best, but they’re the ones fans love to reminisce over, argue about, toast to. And then there is the one name, that when spoken, is said with with reverence. He exists on a different plane. The patron saint of the San Francisco Giants.
Dave Dravecky never completed the throw. The ball escaped mid-pitch, flying wide into the backstop. Dave Dravecky crumbled mid-pitch, falling off the mound onto the turf. And though the viewer can’t see it happening in the clip, you know that, mid-pitch, a bone in his throwing arm snapped. I’ve only seen the clip once. It was too much to bear.
Dave Dravecky had cancer in his throwing-arm. He underwent surgery to remove the cancer. Muscle was removed, bone was frozen. Of course he’d never pitch again. Until he did. Somehow, he made his return on August 10, 1989. He pitched eight innings, beating the Reds, 4-3. His comeback was one of the rare times when a sports-story went beyond sports and actually meant something truly meaningful to us real people living a real life. It was incredible.
Five games later, Dave Dravecky threw the pitch that broke his arm and our hearts. Two years later, the arm was amputated.
There are the gods, there are the Will Clarks, and then there is Dave Dravecky. Giants fans just don’t talk about him the same way we do about other players. We’ll compare Willie Mays’ stats with those of Babe Ruth or Hank Aaron. We’ll argue that Barry Bonds was the greatest hitter to ever step into a batter’s box. We’ll talk about them as ballplayers. Not Dave Dravecky. He’s more than a ballplayer. He’s our patron saint.
*****
The Giants don’t win baseball games anymore. It’s an act of masochism, watching the Giants. Ok, so I don’t actually mind watching the Giants lose—at least because we’re out of the playoff chase it’s stress-free. But the combination of the Giants losing and the Dodgers winning?! PAIN!!! The Bums have forgotten how to lose, and with each passing week, I grow more and more obsessed with that damned team. Hate can focus the mind like a laser and I burn a hole through the NL West standings every day. Let’s not waste our energy and particles on rooting for the Giants to win—we need to start rooting for the Dodgers to lose.
*****
I’ve sat out there many times, those centerfield bleachers. Good seats, good people. Now, I don’t condone violence, but if someone in those bleachers saw the guy who threw the banana onto the field... well, I’m not saying he should have been beat down, but someone needed to grab the fuck out of him. Do your jobs out there.
