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. Slaybaugh to Try Again as Pitcher Undaunted by Loss of Eye In Baseball Accident Young Southpaw Going to Omaha HARTVTT.T.E, Ohio, May 19.— Undaunted by the loss of one eye in a "baseball accident, game little Bobby Slaybaugh planned today to leave for Omaha this week to start a comeback he hopes will land him a job in the major leagues. "Im very encouraged and I have lots of confidence," said the 21-year-old left-handed pitcher, who lost his left eye when he was hit with a hard line drive in batting practice at the St. Louis Cardinals St. Petersburg, Fla., spring training camp, March 24. "Its going to take time, but I think I can make it." Slaybaugh, a five-foot, nine-inch, 160-pound southpaw, has been working out at Sportsmans Park in St. Louis for the last two weeks and now feels that he is ready to take up baseball again. "When I first started working out with the Cards, I was ready to give up," he related at his home here. "I couldnt do anything fight. I was confused by distances. I was just plain scared. "But manager Eddie Stanky and the Cardinal players kept encouraging me and day after day I started feeling better. They all were really swell to me." Two Biggest Difficulties Bobby said his two- biggest difficulties were control and judging the speed of balls coming toward him. His biggest trouble is in controlling his curve, which seems to break too slow most of the time. His control on his fast ball has been surprisingly good, he says. "I dont expect to have too much trouble pitching again, since it was the left eye that I lost," he said, "but I might have trouble with a runner on second bace. "My biggest worry right now is in judging the speed of balls coming at me. I almost was beaned in a few pepper games because I cant judge speed. It still will take a "little time, but I think I can do it." Slaybaugh said he would leave home for the Cards Omaha farm club either Tuesday or Wednesday. At Omaha hell be on his own and will pitch as soon as manager George Kissell thinks hes ready. Bobby, who never played baseball until a few years ago because of rheumatic fever during childhood, signed with the Cardinal organization in August of 1949 and pitched two seasons for their Goldsboro, N. C. farm team- in the Coast League. In 1950, he won only six games and lost 17, but he struck out 176 batters and walked only 135. Last year he compiled a 17-10 record, pitched 21 complete games, struck out 224 batters and was named to the league all-star team. He made such a hit with the Cardinal organization that he was promoted from Class D to a trial with the parent team this spring. Slaybaugh looked good in five exhibition innings with the Cards, giving up just three hits and one run, until the batting practice accident laid him low. Trie blow fracfured his left cheek bone and nasal bone and necessitated an hour and 15 -minute emergency operation for the removal of his eye. "I sure hope I can make good," he said. "The Cards have been wonderful to me and I want to pay them back."
