the king and his court fastpitch softball

He's been interviewed by Red Smith, Mike Douglas, Johnny Carson, Ed Sullivan and the guy Feigner says gave him his first significant interview, Grantland Rice. If you live anywhere in the Northwest, go to Walla Walla this Saturday to see the end of an era. A world traveler is he. Not bad for a fat man. ! 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He was an incredible athlete and person. Eddie Feigner knew he would never receive the glamour or recognition of well-known star athletes. 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. Its like being a world-champion nose-blower.. Wrigley Field, Chicago: 90 This year, Team USA won again and was even more dominant. He struck out Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, Brooks Robinson, Harmon Killebrew and Roberto Clemente consecutively. Feigner has performed for U.S. troops during the Berlin Airlift, pitched in full view of Soviet guardsmen in Red Square, pitched against a Cuban team in 1952, featuring a hot major-league prospect, Fidel Castro, who would shun baseball and lead his country through a revolution and retain power 37 years later. It's always been my Yankee Stadium. Jim Caple is a senior writer for ESPN.com. 7. 4. They had 4 players and would play teams of 9 guys. Eddie Feigner was asked to participate. Barnstorming softball faded into the Americana of wooden roller coasters and hula hoops. After decades of popularity, fast-pitch mens softball lost ground to slow pitch (a sissy game, Feigner said) and to womens fast pitch. The King and His Court were a novelty from the beginning: a four-man softball team that toured the world and took on all comers. Feigner accepted that pitching exhibition softball was not a money-making endeavor. 21. The greatest team that ever stepped onto a diamond is playing its last game this weekend. To Hoppe, it is not merely a softball team, but a means to rediscover himself and spread a message of hope. Oh yeah, Eisenhower Park. He is buried in the Huntsville Memory Gardens. Those days are long gone -- now luxury suites and revenue streams are all-important -- and based on the vast expanses of orange, empty seats always visible at Marlins games, those days may have never existed here. Not enough people died, I guess. Distance, time, and uncertainty. Hoppe is a natural lefty who lost full use of the arm in Vietnam and taught himself how to pitch right-handed. 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. In softball, there are no famous hitters, only famous pitchers. This week I show you about 10 minutes of the event. Larry Rankin from Oklahoma on April 26, 2018: I'd heard of this guy before, but you certainly gave me a great deal more insight into it. "Who was the original pitcher for the legendary men's softball team, The King and His Court" New questions each week on The Trivia Show with your host Gary Leland. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). Mary, thanks. I was lucky enough to be invited to watch and film. You get a fragment from an old box score and the challenge of determining what game it is from and why it is significant. This Space For Rent Stadium, Florida. Since Jennie Finch took over as a co-host of This Week in Baseball, she has consistently struck out current major leaguers whove dared to take the Jennie Challenge. Eddie Feignerthe star of the famous barnstorming team The King and His Courtwas supposedly once clocked at 104 mph, and in a two-inning exhibition in 1967, he struck out Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, Brooks Robinson, Willie Mays, Harmon Killebrew, and Roberto Clemente. Call Us: (860) 961-3482 . Feigner, who at the end made a tiny fraction of the fabulous salaries of baseball players, never slowed down. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. The King and His court is an extremely entertaining show to go watch! The Court has been around since the Chicago Cubs still were the reigning National League champs, and it has played in nearly 4,000 cities and in more than 150 countries. Don't add another wild card and a hokey one-game playoff -- just eliminate the wild card. Miller Park, Milwaukee 77 By the 1960s, Feigner was top dog and made $100,000 a month at a time when baseball stars headed for the Hall of Fame made $100,000 a year. How did he do it? He would even pitch blindfolded. In the 1940s, when countless small towns had softball leagues, the King and His Court was one among many barnstormers. A celebrity charity softball game was held in February of 1967. 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. Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, Mo. In the aftermath of his brother's death, Hoppe faced down his addictions and got his life back on track. Insulted, Feigner bet the guy he could beat his team with just four players -- himself, a catcher, a first baseman and an infielder. But its usually not just Team USAs opponents who struggle to score. He's been with the King and His Court ever since. AT&T Park, San Francisco: 94 He threw an in-raise as well as an in-drop pitches others couldn't figure out how to throw. We have everybody falling all over themselves wanting to play us, we've struck out Willie Mays and Ted Williams, for 20 years the word is out, nobody can beat us. Register Log in Dec 30, 2021 #1 Hillhouse Aug 21, 2008 2,053 113 Why You've Never Heard of the Best Athlete Ever Dec 30, 2021 #2 Rolling Hard Apr 20, 2018 3,842 113 SoCal ), Fernandez, perhaps the greatest softball pitcher ever, faced major league all-star David Justice after the 1996 Olympics and struck him out on three pitches. Of course, the Stones never played my hometown or the hundreds of other towns that are even smaller. "How did you remember that?" "The King changed my life, and he was the toughest guy I've ever been around. He pitched behind his back, from second base, between his legs, when kneeling and, of course, while blindfolded. HE HAS carried over the years more than 30 players at one time or another in his troupe, including three former major leaguers. It's absolutely like your life is flashing in front of you," Hoppe said. Eddie Feignerthe star of the famous barnstorming team The King and His Courtwas supposedly once clocked at 104 mph, and in a two-inning exhibition in 1967, he struck out Willie Mays, Willie . I never forgot that day, and how Eddie pitched. The King and His Court touring team played over ten thousand softball games in a hundred countries from the late 1940's to the beginning of the 21st century..while achieving widespread fame similar to that of the Harlem Globetrotters.as Feigner's meticulous records claim 9,743 victories, 141,517 strikeouts, 930 no-hitters and 238 perfect games. 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. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Feigner had been pitching in the Green Pea League of Walla Walla Valley. Founded in 1946 by Hoppe's mentor, "The King" Eddie Feigner, the King and His Court travels the country and globe playing exhibition games, with proceeds often going to charity. 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. I can only imagine he was something to have watched. "It was like being on the Rolling Stones, only with a softball.". the guest nearly shrieked. Feigner agreed, and the only stipulation was that Feigner needed four players to bat in case the bases were loaded. If you swing at the ball, youll strike out every time.. I saw the King and his Court in Pittsfield, MA in the early 1960's. Granted, American softball players are the best in the world. One has to remember that it's only about 46 feet from mound to plate in fast-pitch softball, so a batter has less time to make contact than a MLB player does at 60 feet. VHS Tape, "How to Pitch Fast Pitch Softball Basic Styles With Eddie Feigner of The King and His Court" [autographed]. Host virtual events and webinars to increase engagement and generate leads. "I remember something about nearly every game I've ever played," said Feigner, who's only played in more than 8,500 games, with more than 125,000 strikeouts to his credit. Hearing a woman or child say they loved watching him pitch meant more to Feigner than any big-league contract. After making a name for himself in the 1970s as a premier men's fast-pitch softball pitcher, Hoppe re-joined the King in the 1980s and has been in the signature red, white and blue uniform ever since. Many writers and others in the sports world have considered Eddie Feigner to be the best softball pitcher the sport has ever known. After the game was over, many of the players gathered at a tavern. $44.90. Free 3 day shipping. Lies, Damn Lies and Statistics: How big was the crowd in Williamsport for the Little League World Series? I just thought that was normal. He was the clown prince of softball. 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"I just wanted to return the van keys to Walla Walla where it all came out of," said Rich Hoppe, who has been pitching with the Court for decades. ", "If you did one tour with the Court, you've been tested. ". 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. In honor of his time in theMarine Corps, the King and His Court often played against military personnel, often at venues such as Army bases or the decks of aircraft carriers. 6. The King and His Court remain the Harlem Globetrotters of fastpitch. 12, Minute Maid Park, Houston: 80 Any organization they thought would sponsor a softball game got a letter from them. Hell, if you live anywhere, get to Walla Walla. The team started by traveling around the United States, Canada, and Mexico to play local softball teams. 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! Today, there are no great pitchers left out there. His underhand fastball was once timed at 104 mphsome accounts had it clocked at 114 mph. The first game for the King and His Court took place behind the barbed wire and high walls of a prison. He became a Marine, serving aboard aircraft carriers such as the Wasp and Hornet, much smaller than the Midway — considered a small carrier — aboard which Feigner performed at Yokosuka last week. In 2000, the same magazine ranked the King and His Court as the United States eighth-greatest team of the 20th century. Anyone? He often told people it was a good feeling to know he was unique. Yes, he faced the Cubs. "I went to the other side," Hoppe said, referring to his mental state. It played in Saudi Arabia, the jungles of Thailand and near the DMZ between North and South Korea. PNC Park, Pittsburgh: 98 Softball never had the following or respect of Major League Baseball. Its just that the conditions of the game simply dont allow even the greatest hitters to be successful often enough for anybody to notice. Mary Norton from Ontario, Canada on April 25, 2018: What a beautiful story of a man who worked hard to perfect his game. 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 . Many writers and others in the Northwest, go to Walla Walla, Minute Park... 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the king and his court fastpitch softball