Dave Stewart Helping Children in Oakland : Pitcher Makes Pitch to Stay Away From Drugs

OAKLAND â€”  The fading California sun triggers a Jekyll and Hyde transformation each night on the decaying streets of Oakland, bringing into view the nocturnal world of crack, cocaine, prostitution and death.

It is here, in one of America’s most troubled and dangerous neighborhoods, that Oakland A’s right-hander Dave Stewart has decided to make his most important pitch.

Stewart’s target is the children of Oakland--many times the forgotten victims of the city’s drug wars. The local vice squad claims there are 500 “hot spots� in the city where drugs can easily be purchased on a daily basis. Last year, there were 129 homicides in Oakland, a city of 356,200. Of those 66 were drug related.

In East Oakland, near the Oakland Coliseum, the night air is filled with the sounds of two diverse worlds--wailing sirens and the roar of the A’s home crowds.

“I’ve been telling kids to stay in school and stay away from drugs,� said Stewart, who grew up on Oakland’s mean streets. “This area has gotten bad as far as kids are concerned. They are exposed to so many negative things--drugs, crime, families split apart. There has to be an alternative for them.�

Stewart has emerged as a community leader in Oakland since signing with the A’s two seasons ago. He has danced for charity with the Oakland Ballet, become a spokesman for the Oakland public library, donated time to the Oakland Boys Club and most recently started a foundation that will match youth-oriented charities with major corporations.

“I really believe you have to give something back to the community,� he said. “Oakland is not the same Oakland I grew up in. It’s a lot different now. Kids used to play sports after school, now they are hanging out on the street corner.�

Stewart has come a long way from Oakland’s streets. Last year, he went 20-13 to become one of just a handful of major league pitchers to post 20 or more victories. With a little luck, he may walk away with this year’s American League Cy Young award thanks to a beefed up A’s lineup.

On the eve of opening night, Stewart was rewarded for his 1987 season with a $2.2 million, two-year contract extension.

But Stewart’s recent success comes after years of struggle. In 1985, Stewart hit rock bottom. In January, he was arrested with a prostitute in a Los Angeles alley and pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of soliciting. He was fined $150 and given one-year probation.

Stewart did not fare any better once baseball season began. He went 0-6 with the Texas Rangers and late in the 1985 season was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies who released him in May the following year.

“Baseball is a funny game, you never know what the future holds,� Stewart said. “I wasn’t worried about catching on with another team because I’m not afraid of hard work. If I didn’t ever play baseball again, I would have gone out and found a 9 to 5 job.�

But he soon signed with Oakland’s Tacoma club and the A’s brought him back to the majors after one appearance with Tacoma.

Only once, Stewart says, has his self-confidence been shaken.

“It was when I was with Texas,� he said. “The manager then was Doug Rader, who was a very negative manager. When Bobby Valentine came in I got my confidence back and have really never lost it again.�

This year, Stewart has set a goal to pitch 280 innings.

“Last year, my goal was to pitch 250 innings,� he said. “I pitched 262 and won 20 games. If I get to 280 this season, it means that I’ll be involved in a lot of decisions.�

Stewart opened the year by tossing 8 innings of two-hit ball to lead Oakland to a 4-1 victory over Seattle April 4. After a shaky first inning, in which he was called for a balk, Stewart retired 23 of the next 24 batters.

“I think it’s (the new balk rule) a joke,� Stewart said. “If they are going to call it, they should call it all the time, not just when it can affect the game.�

In the past, a balk call in the opening inning would have undone Stewart.

“I’m 31 years old now, this is going on my eighth season,� he said. “I think just getting older and maturing makes a difference.�

The A’s have been predicted by many to win the American League West. It’s a position Stewart says he and his teammates are ready to assume.

“We’re a good ballclub,� he said. “We added Dave Henderson, Dave Parker and Bob Welch in the off-season. I think our confidence will now build on what we do in the field.�

However, the Oakland native admits its going to take time for his team to win the city as the NFL’s Oakland Raiders did in their championship years.

“I’m not really sure that Oakland is a baseball town,� Stewart said. “We had a great opening night crowd, but the crowd the next night was disappointing. I think for our fans it’s going to be a wait-and-see kind of thing. If we take control of the West early we’ll start packing them in.�