Dravecky's message: courage

His life no longer is full of glamorous and financially rewarding moments as a major-league pitcher, but Dave Dravecky insists he never asks, "Why me?"

"That question has never come up in my mind," the former San Francisco Giants baseball player who is fighting cancer in his left arm said yesterday. "I have no regrets. My dream was to be in the big leagues for just one day. I got much more than that. I played for seven years, and that was the icing on the cake."

Dravecky, 35, has warmed hearts with his battle against cancer the past 2 1/2 years and will tell his story today at the Baltimore Arena on "God and Country Day," which surrounds the Baltimore Blast's 2:35 p.m. game against the San Diego Sockers.

Dravecky, who was forced out of baseball in November 1989 when cancer returned to his arm after he had undergone surgery 13 months earlier, will conduct chapel services for the Blast before the game, be introduced to the crowd during opening ceremonies and speak after the game.

He has traveled around the country an average of four times a month to talk about cancer and his belief in God.