They had 4 players and would play teams of 9 guys. It's beyond dangerous, it's numb.". Feigner developed athletic skills and abilities in ways nobody thought possible. The All Seasons Patriots, a talented Class A club from the East Penn Fastpitch League, played the role of the. L Es Stories The Lovesick Blues Boy Was Really The Hillbilly Shakespeare Tribute To The Life and Talents of Hank Williams, L Es Stories Just Say Bogie, That Says It All..I Gave Up Drinking Once.It Was The Worst Afternoon of My Life Tribute To Humphrey Bogart, L Es Stories Well Excuuuuse Me! In 2002, ESPN.com listed Feigner as one of the 10 greatest pitchers in a list that included Walter Johnson and Sandy Koufax. or Best Offer. Nobody could even touch the ball. So why dont baseball pitchers just throw fast-pitch-softball style if its so effective? Free 3 day shipping. Marshall, thanks for sharing! Into that steel trap memory delves Feigner, 65, a fastpitch softball trouper for some 44 years. Drafted into the Army and sent to Vietnam in 1966, on his 13th day at war the 19-year-old Hoppe witnessed three fellow soldiers get decapitated by a mine. (Its worth noting, though, that pitchers dont dominate the game to the same extent in mens fast-pitch softball. People still want to see Williams bat, Palmer golf; there's the charisma there. Basketball has the Harlem Globetrotters. 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. It has been estimated the team played over 10,000 softball games in over 100 countries. Good luck, Jeff. Whats more, thanks to liberal rules, softball pitchers release the ball from even closer than that, slightly less than 40 feetabout 20 feet closer than a baseball pitcher. I saw the King and his Court in Jasper, Alabama in the early 1960s. "I don't know who'll play Eddie Feigner," he said. Sponsored. You'll need it. A baseball batter has no concept how to hit a fastball that rises like mine, or sliders and curves that break 18 inches.. They were all from the state of Florida. SoftballJunk.com is a great resource to find the perfect fastpitch softball bat just for you! 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. Busch Stadium, St. Louis: 78 The King and His Court got its start the way so many wonderful sagas begin -- in a bar. You can follow him on Twitter at jimcaple. "I miss the guy, I really do. 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. Progressive Field, Cleveland: 82 This Space For Rent Stadium, Florida. You know, there was a time when communities built stadiums to efficiently serve multiple teams and sports, and the fans were perfectly content as long as the team, you know, won. from "I'm still the best pitcher in the world today, baseball or softball; I just don't have the blinding speed any more. They were called The King and His Court.. But most of them play professional baseball, and nearly all of them are men. It's absolutely like your life is flashing in front of you," Hoppe said. "Now every pitcher has to be a big, strong pitcher. Florida starter Ricky Nolasco had an atrocious game Wednesday when he allowed 11 runs in three innings (3 IP, 11 H, 11 R, 11 ER, 1 BB, 2 K). This week I show you about 10 minutes of the event. Distance, time, and uncertainty. During a 1967 exhibition game at Dodger Stadium, Eddie Feigner faced a lineup of six big leaguers. Too bad we didn't have today's technology back then. In the aftermath of his brother's death, Hoppe faced down his addictions and got his life back on track. Unfortunately, I'm not talking about the New York Yankees. He is a member of theBaseball Reliquary. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. It was incredible. Nationals Park, Washington: 76 With all that said, Feigner was amazing. 2023 The Arena Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers on this website. His gimmick of fielding four players against nine began with his response to losers taunts. 1. There are, of course, many hundreds of human beings who can hit a low-90s fastball. After the game was over, many of the players gathered at a tavern. Eventually, they began to travel around the globe to play softball. They played racetracks, stockyards, rodeo grounds, cemeteries, pastures, an oil rig off Norways coast and the Houston Astrodome. It was a great event, and here is . On February 18, 1967, Feigner appeared in a celebrity charity softball game against manyMajor Leagueplayers.in which, Feigner retired from pitching after suffering astrokein 2000 but continued to tour with his team, acting asemceeand telling stories while the team played. Anne Marie, Feigners fourth wife, became the first woman on the team. Cleveland's Chris Perez hit two batters, walked another and allowed an unearned run Monday (1 IP 0 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, 2 HBP) while Atlanta Jair Jurrjens pitched 6 1/3 scoreless innings despite allowing 13 baserunners (6 1/3 IP, 8 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 5 BB, 1 K). He was like a drill sergeant who drills you every day and you never do anything right.". considered signing a hotshot Canadian softball pitcher. He was able to hit the ball as well as he could pitch it. The guest nearly falls out of his seat. He struck out all six. 15. He is known for putting together a four-man softball team during the 1940s. His fastball was clocked at 104 miles an hour. Today, there are no great pitchers left out there. During the following four years, the King and His Court played over 200 games but traveled no further than Idaho. Mr. Feigner faced a lineup of six major leaguers (5 of whom were later inducted in the Baseball Hall of Fame). 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. I just thought that was normal. Feigner, catcher Gary West, first baseman Dave Booth and shortstop Gary Van Prooyen mug it up with true zest. I never saw him and his court, but I can imagine it was quite an experience. Feigner was confident he could win with only himself and a catcher but worried the other team would just walk the two and leave them without a batter. Eddie Feigner passed away on February 9, 2007, from complications associated with dementia. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. The Yankees rewarded the biggest star in the their history with a 30 percent paycut. This is a story on sports legend Eddie Feigner" a.k.a. Eddie Feigner was asked to participate. That was the beauty of the team. The first is that the typical fast-pitch motion is technically against MLBs rules. This episodes trivia question is a simple one, so now its time to play! All contents 2023 The Slate Group LLC. "I had lost any courage to do anything. The Marlins will be hard-pressed to equal their two World Series championship at their new ballpark that opens next season. 5. The King and his Court. "I told ASA (Amateur Softball Association) it was a great game at 43 feet — you just killed a great game. (Theyre currently on a 79-game winning streak.) So do yourself a favor this weekend. This place hasn't exactly been as enticing as Margatitaville but it isn't that terrible either, especially as multi-purpose stadiums go. And, of course, Feigner later pitches blindfolded, from second base and gives a clinic on the differences between fastpitch and slowpitch, the latter for which he professes no love. He was able to throw pitches that only he had mastered. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. Posted on Feb 18th, 2011, 9:14 AM, , User Since 218 months ago, User Post Count: 9400, Posted on Feb 18th, 2011, 9:25 AM, , User Since 171 months ago, User Post Count: 1611, Posted on Feb 18th, 2011, 9:36 AM, , User Since 193 months ago, User Post Count: 30934, Posted on Feb 18th, 2011, 10:06 AM, , User Since 150 months ago, User Post Count: 4812, Posted on Feb 19th, 2011, 8:27 AM, , User Since 150 months ago, User Post Count: 20258, Posted on Feb 19th, 2011, 9:42 AM, , User Since 255 months ago, User Post Count: 27279, Posted on Feb 20th, 2011, 8:21 AM, , User Since 150 months ago, User Post Count: 797, Posted on Feb 20th, 2011, 8:58 AM, , User Since 207 months ago, User Post Count: 51346, Locked Topic - No more replies can be posted. 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 . By Douglas Martin. For softball training videos, training aids, softball equipment, or softball bats visit softballjunk.com/. Last summer, Feigner (pronounced FAY-ner) sometimes rose from his wheelchair to throw a pitch or two, despite dementia and a succession of strokes and heart attacks. Eddie Feigner in 1983. The Arena Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers to this website may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Feigner played in front of millions of people and traveled millions of miles around the world. He would be able to pitch against some of the biggest names in Major League Baseball. Many writers and others in the sports world have considered Eddie Feigner to be the best softball pitcher the sport has ever known. Yes, he faced the Cubs. His fastball pitch was clocked at over 104 miles an hour. "We show off how good we are, but don't flaunt it or embarrass the home team," he said. The toughest thing in sports is to hit a round ball with a round bat when the round ball is thrown underhand from 40 feet away. But its usually not just Team USAs opponents who struggle to score. In his final game as a pitcher, Ruth allowed five runs on 12 hits, walked three and struck out none in a complete game at the end of the 1933 season. In 2000, in their six games against China, Japan, and Australiaarguably the Americans toughest competitionthe U.S. team scored only six runs. "This is big. He was expelled from high school for troublemaking. Feigner had been pitching in the Green Pea League of Walla Walla Valley. Challenges to play local softball teams came from around the state of Washington. Enthralled by what he saw, Hoppe hooked up with Feigner's crew for Midwest tours the following two summers. Feb. 13, 2007. The King and His Court It all began in 1946. 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 use to watch him play all the time not realizing what a great player and performer he was. Fastpitch.TV - A few weeks ago the King And His Court came to the Dallas area. Top softball pitchers like Jennie Finch can throw roughly 70 miles per hour, the equivalent of a low-90s fastball thrown from 60 feet away. Eddie Feigner pitched a perfect game. On this day in 1967, he happened to appear at an exhibition at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. Yup, he struck out the side, blindfolded from 2nd base. 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? Merrick, N.Y., 1974. This year, Team USA won again and was even more dominant. Men's fast-pitch softball has the King and His Court. 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. The Official Site of - The King & His Court: Original 4-Man Softball Team check it out, contact Jason for info on booking 508-735-2878 ext 113 Pastures, an oil rig off Norways coast and the Houston Astrodome Space Rent... Right. `` his fastball was clocked at 104 miles an hour who struggle to score eventually they. Fastball was clocked at 104 miles an hour great resource to find the fastpitch... Progressive Field, Cleveland: 82 this Space for Rent Stadium, Eddie faced... Local softball teams came from around the globe to play softball struck the! Play professional baseball, and nearly all of them are men best softball the! To be the best softball pitcher the sport has ever known began 1946... 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