Sadly, I'm talking about the King and His Court, the barnstorming softball team started by the late Eddie Feigner some 65 years ago. Our Facebook page is Facebook.com/FastpitchTV, Our Twitter page is Twitter.com/FastpitchTV, Feel free to email questions for future shows to [email protected]. 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Hyperextending his knee in a gopher hole in 1972 didn't help; it prevents him to this day from getting top speed on his fastball. : 86 208 Softball Academy Podcast | Athlete Goals. He was the clown prince of softball. I use to watch him play all the time not realizing what a great player and performer he was. Of course, the Stones never played my hometown or the hundreds of other towns that are even smaller. Daten ber Ihr Gert und Ihre Internetverbindung, wie Ihre IP-Adresse, Browsing- und Suchaktivitten bei der Nutzung von Yahoo Websites und -Apps. He hopes to inspire all of those who have battled addiction and felt trapped within their own lives. Eddie Feigner was a one-of-a-kind person who stood out among all those who played sports. For Hoppe, it all started in 1961 when he was a junior in high school and saw Feigner and his team play in Bayonne. "I was a broken man.". It was incredible. "We got to live our summers in small towns where you feel like it's the 1950s. To do more than one tour, you're certifiable," Hoppe said. ", "If you did one tour with the Court, you've been tested. Feel free to use this content, in whole or in part, in any manner you like so long as you give credit to Gary leland, Fastpitch.TV and link to fastpitch.tv. Anyone can read what you share. His underhand fastball was once timed at 104 mphsome accounts had it clocked at 114 mph. It was a great event, and here is . I was lucky enough to be invited to come film the event. Perhaps thats because the hitters are stronger, which opens the game up offensively in a couple of ways: The men hit more home runs, and they can also do more bunting because the infielders have to back up a little. This often happened on the nearest street. It will end where it should. "I wanted to recognize in his birthplace that something so special happened. Insulted, Feigner bet the guy he could beat his team with just four players -- himself, a catcher, a first baseman and an infielder. The King and His Court remain the Harlem Globetrotters of fastpitch. Lies, Damn Lies and Statistics: How big was the crowd in Williamsport for the Little League World Series? Your email address will not be published. A celebrity charity softball game was held in February of 1967. Build a site and generate income from purchases, subscriptions, and courses. Granted, American softball players are the best in the world. Required fields are marked *, Fast Pitch Softball 1988 Special Tribute To Eddie Feigner The King And His Court, There are heroes and then there are HEROES.and fast pitch softball pitcher Eddie. He was 81 years old. In softball, there are no famous hitters, only famous pitchers. Anne Marie, Feigners fourth wife, became the first woman on the team. Don't add another wild card and a hokey one-game playoff -- just eliminate the wild card. Men's fast-pitch softball has the King and His Court. Feigner played in front of millions of people and traveled millions of miles around the world. They keep the batters guessing with rise balls, drop balls, curves, and in-shoots. As Feigner recently observed, In fast-pitch softball, you have to swing four or five inches above the ball or four or five inches below the ball. Dies geschieht in Ihren Datenschutzeinstellungen. Which brings up an interesting question: When was the last time the starting pitcher appeared in box scores on consecutive days with no runs allowed in either game? this page was set up to honor the best pitcher in the history of men's fastpitch softball.Eddie was the "King" in his own right.With a list of achievements that will never be topped.In his. He made Nolan Ryan look like a Little Leaguer. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. They were all from the state of Florida. 194 Softball Trivia Podcast | King and His Court Original Pitcher "It's magical and joyful in a way, but this has been on my radar since 1958 when I was a kid in the stands and saw the King for the first time. Score isn't kept, and in fact, you're likely to see Hoppe or one of his teammates run from first base across the infield to third, bypassing second base altogether, to the laughter and enjoyment of the crowd. (R.J. Oriez/Stars and Stripes), The King and His Court, led by Eddie Feigner, entertain the crowd at Camp Zama, Japan, in May, 1989. Kids who are 10 or 11 years old, they click on the boob tube and say why play fastpitch when there's no pro league, you can't get a scholarship offer for it, and I can play baseball, football, basketball and make good money at it? PNC Park, Pittsburgh: 98 Safeco Field, Seattle: 87 Feigner had an exaggerated windup and he would do things like pitch blindfolded, or pitch an inning from behind second base. They started their first cross-country tour. His gimmick of fielding four players against nine began with his response to losers taunts. "I'll see a batter come up and, remember something about his stance or something and say, `El Paso, '74, right?' Comerica Park, Detroit: 87 "After my brother died and that 100 days that followed, I literally had lost everything," Hoppe said. This is a story on sports legend Eddie Feigner" a.k.a. They endured enough 30-hour rides between cities that Feigner referred to a 10-hour ride as "just down the road apiece. "It's surreal. I hope they think of me as an honest, sincere performer who always put on a good show, he said. 2023 The Arena Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers on this website. Rich had taken care of the ailing Robert for the last nine months of his life, and he was left tormented by "intense suicidal thoughts" when he passed away. His team, clad in red, white and blue uniforms modeled after those of the Globetrotters, played in ever-smaller parks. He quickly became a successful businessman and got back into softball, but his alcohol and drug addictions intensified. "I got to be part of something where they watch you tie your shoelaces," Hoppe said of the attention the Court occasionally received. He is known for putting together a four-man softball team during the 1940s. No town was too small for them, no fans too unimportant. Feb. 11, 2007 12 AM PT From the Associated Press Eddie Feigner, the hard-throwing softball showman who barnstormed for more than 50 years with "The King and His Court" four-man team, has. Thanks for sharing such a great childhood memory. "And nobody in their right mind would put slowpitch in the Olympics.". He's battled the best batters the major leagues have to offer, striking out Willie Mays, Brooks Robinson, Harmon Killebrew, Willie McCovey, Maury Wills and Roberto Clemente, consecutively, in two separate innings with the bases loaded, in an exhibition between Hollywood celebrities and slugging stars at Dodger Stadium in 1977. It just doesn't go as fast,' " Feigner says. Learn about Eddie and the Court, who first brought fastpitch to TV and mainstream America from the people who lived. Its like being a world-champion nose-blower.. Feel free to use this content, so long as you give credit to Gary Leland, of Fastpitch.TV and link to Fastpitch.TV One-Piece Composite Design AB9000 Composite Material Reduced MOI, allows you to swing through the zone faster with less effort Padded Spiral Grip designed to keep batter's hands cushioned and prevent any slipping . For Feigner, it would have been a career in pro baseball, with the New York Yankees, had it not been for Uncle Sam calling in World War II. "The King changed my life, and he was the toughest guy I've ever been around. gary leland. 1951 The King and His Court Softball Program. He even pitched blindfolded from second base for one inning. The manager walked past Feigner at the tavern and made a nasty comment about Feigner's pitching ability. Feigner developed athletic skills and abilities in ways nobody thought possible. Nobody could even touch the ball. The friends got together and decided it was time to take their game on the road. Eddie Feigner passed away on February 9, 2007, from complications associated with dementia. HE HAS a book planned and a movie scripted, but there's no ending to either, yet; thus, they're both on the shelf. I would have loved to have bee able to have a conversation with him. 7. Many of them were major league players. It was a mismatch, Feigner said in an interview with a publication of the Loma Linda University Adventist Health Science Center. Feigner and his team, known as the King and His Court, traveled around the world with a flamboyance that recalled the barnstorming teams assembled by Babe Ruth and that perhaps most resembled basketballs Harlem Globetrotters. Eddie Feigner, who for 60 years barnstormed the globe with his four-man softball team, hurling 100-mile-an-hour pitches that struck out Willie Mays and 141,516 other batters, died on Friday in Huntsville, Ala. He threw an in-raise as well as an in-drop pitches others couldn't figure out how to throw. So do yourself a favor this weekend. Poster promoting Eddie Feigner's "King and His Court.". During the game, Eddie Feigner managed to strike out Maury Wills, Willie McCovey, Harmon Killebrew, Brooks Robinson, and Roberto Clemente. He and his Court were able to defeat a team with nine players. He died of respiratory complications, said Del Reddy, a friend. Feb. 13, 2007. We need heroes now especially in the Sports world. They had also been known for donating considerable amounts of ticket profits to charity.and followingOperation Desert Storm, had put veteran support as the chief charity they played for. He stands blindfolded, some 40 feet from home plate, gleefully hurling pitch after pitch at weary batters as fans in Linden's Memorial Park cheer on the peculiar feat. How did he do it? 21. You can see highlights of the King and His Court from about 50 years ago here and a news report from about 15 years ago here. Distance, time, and uncertainty. Jan 24, 2012 - Produced by http://Fastpitch.TV - A few weeks ago the King And His Court came to the Dallas area. or Best Offer. Not bad for a fat man. Of the entertainment factor, Feigner says, "The difference between us and the Globetrotters is, they have to hire their opponents, call them the Washington Generals or the California Chiefs. I never forgot that day, and how Eddie pitched. Willie Mays, Roberto Clemente, Brooks Robinson, Willie McCovey, Maury Wills and Harmon Killebrew. 12, Minute Maid Park, Houston: 80 The rottenest thing to happen to softball was moving back the mound from 43 to 46 feet" in 1949, Feigner said, adding it was done because a few pitchers tended to dominate batters from the closer distance. Because in baseballs early days, the pitchers were required to throw underhand. Ted Williams was fond of saying that the toughest thing in sports is hitting a round ball with a round bat. Call Us: (860) 961-3482 . Hoppe said he relied on a mixture of Vietnamese marijuana and black tar heroin to cope with the emotional and psychological damage that the incident and the war had on him. Pitchers with speed and a varied repertoirelike current U.S. Olympians Finch, Lisa Fernandez, and Cat Ostermanmake life almost impossible for even the best hitters. In 1950, the team members, as well as Feigner, were unemployed. Feigner struck out all six in order Willie Mays, Roberto Clemente, Brooks Robinson, Willie McCovey, Maury Wills and Harmon Killebrew. included in the interview is Leslie Barber, Charlie Dobbins, Dave Booth, Bob Hale, Ron Davenport and Michael Branchaud. AT&T Park, San Francisco: 94 The King and His court is an extremely entertaining show to go watch! In the days of xBox and 15-screen Cineplexes, it was something to see ballparks packed with five generations, with great-grandfathers and fathers holding little babies. Court were able to defeat a team with nine players within their lives! Team, clad in red, white and blue uniforms modeled after those the! 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