Bob Slaybaugh: The One-Eyed Pitching Wonder

Read about Bob's tragic on-field accident and his courageous comeback story

Jun 12, 2023

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Introduction

Life is unpredictable, and accidents can happen at any time. In the world of sports, these unexpected incidents can change the course of an athlete's career in an instant.

This is the inspiring story of Robert "Bob" Slaybaugh, a professional baseball player who, despite losing an eye in a freak accident, managed to continue pursuing his passion for the game, proving that even the most challenging obstacles can be overcome.

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Bob’s Early Life and Career

Born in 1931, Bob Slaybaugh's journey to professional baseball could have been smoother. As a child, he was stricken by rheumatic fever, which confined him to a wheelchair.

Slaybaugh's son, Scott, shared insights into his father's childhood hardships:

"He only went to seventh grade before he was struck down with rheumatic fever. He was bedridden for a long time and had to have tutors to finish school. After his recovery, they would wheel my dad out in a wheelchair with a little wooden bat and a bucket of rocks. He knew every team in the American and National Leagues, and as he was hitting rocks with the bat, he would tell people that someday he would be a Major League baseball player. He was fortunate enough to live that dream, at least to a certain extent."

Despite early childhood health challenges, Bob’s determination saw him overcome this setback and pursue his professional baseball dream.

Bob’s Professional Debut

Slaybaugh debuted professionally in 1950 with the Goldsboro Cardinals. Despite leading the Coastal Plain League in losses, he struck out 176 batters, showcasing his potential.

The following year, he won 17 games and led the league with 223 strikeouts, a testament to his talent and tenacity.

In 1952, the Cardinals invited Slaybaugh to attend big-league spring training in St. Petersburg, Florida. He played in two exhibition games, pitching two innings against the Senators and three against the Braves, allowing only one run.

According to the St. Petersburg Times, Cardinals manager Eddie Stanky was convinced that Slaybaugh was "only a y from being ready for the majors.

Examining the Accident

Bob Slaybaugh's life took a dramatic turn on March 24th, 1952, while throwing Spring Training batting practice for the Cardinals.

It was his turn to pitch batting practice during a routine morning drill for rookies and prospects. Jim Dickey, a formidable first baseman known for his power hitting at the Class A level, took his stance on the left side of the plate. Slaybaugh delivered a pitch aimed at the outside corner.

As he later recounted to Helen Popa for The Sporting News, Slaybaugh had anticipated the ball to be hit down the left field line. However, the ball took an unexpected trajectory, shooting straight back towards him. Despite his quick reflexes to shield his face with his gloved hand, the ball grazed one of his fingers and struck the left side of his face.

"I saw it all the way," Slaybaugh told The Sporting News. "And I threw my gloved hand in front of my face for protection. But at the same time I jerked my head. The ball flicked one of my fingers and hit my face.”

The impact was so severe that Slaybaugh collapsed instantly. Slaybaugh “dropped as though shot,” the St. Petersburg Times reported.

In the immediate aftermath, Stanky and Don McGranaghan, a New York state police officer who was on vacation, hurriedly transported Slaybaugh to a hospital in McGranaghan's car, as reported by Bob Broeg in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. With a towel, Stanky managed to keep the dislodged eye in place.

The Sporting News detailed the extent of his injuries, stating, "the line drive shattered the left cheekbone and forced the left eyeball partly out of the socket."

Stanky later told The Sporting News about their car ride to the hospital. He said that, despite the excruciating pain, Slaybaugh spoke about baseball. He didn't whimper once and even had the presence of mind to instruct Stanky to inform the surgeons about his history of rheumatic fever, should they need to operate. This was to ensure they would take necessary precautions regarding the anesthetic's potential effect on his heart.

The Road to Recovery and Return to the Diamond

The severity of Slaybaugh's injuries was substantial. Dr. S. Albert Hanser, an ophthalmologist from St. Louis who was vacationing nearby, was rushed to the hospital to join Dr. Bernard Bell, a local ophthalmologist, in treating him. They undertook a meticulous operation to save his left eye, as reported by the Associated Press.

Slaybaugh's injuries were not limited to his eye. As Dr. Hanser reported to the St. Louis Globe-Democrat, he had also suffered a fracture of the left cheekbone, a fracture of a group of bones near the eye, and multiple fractures of the nasal bones.

Fred Saigh, the owner of the Cardinals, promptly contacted Bob’s parents in Ohio, informing them of their son’s injury. He arranged for them and another son to fly to St. Petersburg the next day, as reported by The Sporting News.

After a week in the St. Petersburg hospital, Slaybaugh, accompanied by his mother, flew to St. Louis on March 31 for further treatment at a hospital there.

On the same day, Jim Dickey, the player who hit the line drive that caused the accident, was assigned by the Cardinals to their Rochester farm team. He would never make it to the majors.

On April 4, in a critical operation, Bob’s damaged eye was removed. Dr. Hanser, who operated, stated, “A rupture at the rear of the eyeball forced the removal.”

Amidst the tragedy, a silver lining emerged. While recuperating from his eye operation in the St. Louis hospital, Bob met a nurse named Joy, who would later become his wife, as reported by The Sporting News.

By late April, Slaybaugh was cleared to practice with the Cardinals at Sportsman’s Park. He admitted to The Sporting News,

“When I first started working out, I was ready to give up. I couldn’t do anything right. I was confused by distances and was just plain scared, but Eddie Stanky and the players kept encouraging me and gradually I started feeling better.”

He reported to the Cardinals’ Omaha farm team, managed by George Kissell. Ray Oppegard, the business manager of the Omaha team, expressed optimism, saying, “(Slaybaugh) still thinks he can pitch and so do we and our doctors.”

However, Kissell, the team’s manager, was more cautious. When the Des Moines Tribune asked in May whether he’d let Slaybaugh pitch in a game, Kissell responded, “It’s too dangerous. A one-eyed person has no depth perception.”

Undeterred, Slaybaugh told Kissell, “I didn’t come here to sit on the bench. Let me pitch.”

So, to his credit, Kissell set up a program to evaluate Slaybaugh’s chances of playing again. He had him throw on the sideline, and then stand behind another pitcher during batting practice to get used to batted balls again. Then, as time progressed, he had Bob pitch for bunting practice, then during batting practice.

Kissel was impressed with his progress. In an interview, he stated, “At first, he threw the ball only to the inside corner so that he knew when it was hit, it wouldn’t come back at him. Now he throws all over the plate.”

Kissell then put Bob through fielding practices. “He had his players drive grounders straight at Slaybaugh and to both sides,” the Des Moines Tribune reported. “Then he tested him with line drives.”

Finally, Slaybaugh got to bat in batting practice. When he passed all the tests to Kissell’s satisfaction, it was time to play in games. This marked the beginning of his journey back to the diamond, a testament to his resilience and determination to continue playing the game he loved.

The Comeback

Incredibly, Bob returned to the mound later that summer. His comeback was nothing short of remarkable. On June 29th, he threw a four-hit shutout in his first start since the injury, leading his team, the Omaha Cardinals, to a 1-0 victory over the Des Moines Bruins. Despite the challenges, he pitched 31 innings in 1952, going 2-2 in 16 outings.

Bob’s comeback was short-lived. In 1954, after three weeks, he was demoted from Omaha to Lynchburg of the Piedmont League. However, he was asked to report to Winnipeg of the Northern League after a single start and a loss.

Choosing a different path, Slaybaugh declined and returned to Ohio instead. He began pitching in a semi-pro league and embarked on his post-baseball career at a local lumber and supply company.

His record post-accident was reported to be 2-11, marking a challenging end to his professional baseball career.

Bobby Slaybaugh was a deeply religious man, and according to his son Scott, he felt blessed to have lived as long as he did.

"He believed that God had a plan for him, that he could have ended up dropping dead if he had continued to play ball. He lived longer than anyone ever thought he would and eventually died of congestive heart failure.”

As for losing his eye, several moments demonstrate Bob’s acceptance and resilience of his situation.

In a 1953 game, his glass eye fell out of the socket while pitching for Columbus. Slaybaugh, who usually pitched with an eye patch, had decided to pitch without it against Jacksonville, using a strip of tape instead. When perspiration loosened the tape in the fifth inning, the eye fell from its socket and rolled down the mound. Unfazed, Slaybaugh picked up the eye, placed it in his pocket, and continued to pitch, eventually losing a 2-1 game in 10 innings.

Scott shared a humorous anecdote about his father's unique way of keeping an eye on his family.

"There were times when he'd have to leave for work on a Monday or a Tuesday and would come home on Friday. He was an old-school guy who believed in families eating together. He'd come down on the day he was supposed to leave and put his spare eye in the middle of the table and tell us 'Remember, I have my eye on you'."

Despite the challenges, fate watched Bobby Slaybaugh, guiding him through his remarkable journey from the baseball diamond to a fulfilling life beyond.

Jose Urias

Urias underwent four surgeries in 2015 to remove a benign mass from his left eye, which resulted in a noticeable squint when he pitches.

Despite this, Urias has continued his career with both eyes functioning well. Interestingly, the affected eye is his distant eye, not his forward eye, when he, a left-handed pitcher, is on the mound.

Edgar Martinez

Edgar Martinez, a Hall of Fame Designated Hitter, also had persistent vision issues. He was diagnosed with strabismus, which sometimes caused his eyes to misalign when looking at an object.

This occasionally affected his ability to judge baseball's speed, especially when he was not well-rested. Despite referring to himself as "basically one-eyed," Martinez was not blind, and as long as he was well-rested, the focusing issue only surfaced on rare occasions.

Tommy Pham

Tommy Pham, another pitcher, has also faced persistent vision issues in one eye due to a condition called keratoconus. This disease weakens the collagen in the cornea, causing it to bulge out like a hernia at times.

While it does not cause blindness, it necessitated Pham to get contact lenses in 2009 and undergo experimental ultraviolet surgery in 2011, which may have saved his career.

These players, along with others like Dick Sisler and Whammy Douglas, who also had vision impairments, have shown that with determination, adaptability, and the right support, it is possible to overcome vision challenges and achieve success in baseball. Their stories serve as a testament to the human spirit and an inspiration for others facing similar challenges.

Legacy and Impact

Robert "Bob" Slaybaugh's legacy in the world of baseball is one of resilience and determination. Despite the accident that cost him an eye, he continued to play the sport he loved, inspiring many along the way.

His story also impacted the perception of players with physical disabilities in sports. He demonstrated that physical challenges could be overcome with determination and a love for the game.

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