208 Softball Academy Podcast | Athlete Goals. He and his court, which included only a catcher, first-baseman and shortstop, played everywhere from Yankee Stadium to the Great Wall of China. 14. He was the clown prince of softball. (Theyre currently on a 79-game winning streak.) Hoppe and his crew only use a pitcher, a catcher, a first baseman and a shortstop, while the opposition uses nine players. And there were not enough bare-chested women, though there were a few of those, too. I hope they think of me as an honest, sincere performer who always put on a good show, he said. Anyone can read what you share. After the game was over, many of the players gathered at a tavern. "You don't care. Yet, "It's like Bob Feller said: `I can still throw as hard as I ever did. He died of respiratory complications, said Del Reddy, a friend. Eddie Feigner pitched a perfect game. This week I show you about 10 minutes of the event. Merrick, N.Y., 1974. "YEAH, THAT'S why I'm gonna steal," retorts Booth, to the delight of the crowd. 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. Our Facebook page is Facebook.com/FastpitchTV, Our Twitter page is Twitter.com/FastpitchTV, Feel free to email questions for future shows to FastpitchTV@gmail.com. Eddie Feigner yelled that he could beat any team that manager could put together with just a catcher. On this day in 1967, he happened to appear at an exhibition at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. 20. Founded in 1946 by Hoppe's mentor, "The King" Eddie Feigner, the. Later that night, Hoppe saw two children blown up right in front of him during a Viet Cong raid. A story is told of the time he stood in right field at Yankee Stadium and fired an underhand fastball over home plate. "And nobody in their right mind would put slowpitch in the Olympics.". (Its worth noting, though, that pitchers dont dominate the game to the same extent in mens fast-pitch softball. During one game, Feigner had easily beaten a team from Oregon 33-0. He's toed the same athletic fields as the legendary Jim Thorpe, traipsed through Tibet and rubbed elbows with the Dalai Lama. Good luck, Jeff. I also fear Buck Showalter's head would probably explode if a player showed up looking like this. 1983 The King and His Court ~ 4-Man Softball Team ~ Signed Autographed Program. Mary, thanks. or Best Offer. Call Us: (860) 961-3482 . Eddie Feigner was a one-of-a-kind person who stood out among all those who played sports. Tropicana Field, Tampa Bay: 68. 2023 The Arena Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers on this website. 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). Softball never had the following or respect of Major League Baseball. 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. Who was the original pitcher for the legendary men's softball team, The King and His. Sign up to receive a daily email of today's top military news stories from Stars and Stripes and top news outlets I wonder if he wanted to be a MLB player if he would have done so well. I would have loved to have bee able to have a conversation with him. It's absolutely like your life is flashing in front of you," Hoppe said. Host virtual events and webinars to increase engagement and generate leads. ", With West, the Max Patkin of the team, a patch covering his left eye which he lost to cancer two years ago, motioning Booth to keep quiet, Feigner answers, "I dunno. There are, of course, many hundreds of human beings who can hit a low-90s fastball. The King and His Court got its start the way so many wonderful sagas begin -- in a bar. Yankee Stadium, New York: 79 "Now every pitcher has to be a big, strong pitcher. But Hoppe's story is about more than just trick pitches and entertaining a crowd. Hoppe is a natural lefty who lost full use of the arm in Vietnam and taught himself how to pitch right-handed. He pitched behind his back, from second base, between his legs, when kneeling and, of course, while blindfolded. "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. Their popularity kept growing. Today, there are no great pitchers left out there. For advertising information send him an email to FastpitchTV@Gmail.com, or visit his personal website site at garyleland.com for more information on Gary. 23K 2.9K comments It's beyond dangerous, it's numb.". Im now 66 years old. Prooyen, a six-time national champion whom Feigner calls the "best pitcher at his age (25) today," later pitches an inning or two. My favorite was Land Shark Stadium, which it was called for one year after a deal with Jimmy Buffet. Feigner played in front of millions of people and traveled millions of miles around the world. He pitched for Kilburg's Grocery store. ". "No matter what they trained you in, you haven't seen that.". The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. 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. Five of the six were later elected to Cooperstown. People still want to see Williams bat, Palmer golf; there's the charisma there. With all that said, Feigner was amazing. Williams was right, just not as precise as he could have been. 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. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. 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. 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. 255) may be the equivalent of the high school annual photo. All rights reserved (About Us). The Ballpark in Arlington, Texas: 77 Patrick Villanova/The Jersey Journal 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 . Not bad for a fat man. More than 66,000 fans attended the four games Friday, including a LLWS single-game record of 41,848 for a game with a Pennsylvania team. Feigner was born in Walla Walla, Wash., on March 26, 1925. The guest nearly falls out of his seat. We had some interesting lines this week. Comerica Park, Detroit: 87 This place hasn't exactly been as enticing as Margatitaville but it isn't that terrible either, especially as multi-purpose stadiums go. 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. 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. 1. Feigner swore the tale was true, except that it was a curveball that crossed second base on its way to the plate. from "In the last 10 to 15 years, it's never been considered a game as such.". 22. HubPages is a registered trademark of The Arena Platform, Inc. Other product and company names shown may be trademarks of their respective owners. The first game for the King and His Court took place behind the barbed wire and high walls of a prison. PNC Park, Pittsburgh: 98 The Court sometimes played three games in three cities in one day ("You would play a noon game, a mid-afternoon game and a night game"). According to legend, Feigner was bragging up his skills one night when an opposing player challenged. This Space For Rent, Florida 73 Feigner struck out all six in order Willie Mays, Roberto Clemente, Brooks Robinson, Willie McCovey, Maury Wills and Harmon Killebrew. Eddie Feigner: King and His Court - YouTube 0:00 / 29:30 Eddie Feigner: King and His Court allendale101 5.05K subscribers 546K views 4 years ago Video on the story of the famed. This episodes trivia question is a simple one, so now its time to play! As the games rules were liberalized, the names for the pitches eventually changed. Eddie Feigner winds up during a game at Camp Zama, Japan, in May, 1989. "We show off how good we are, but don't flaunt it or embarrass the home team," he said. His team, clad in red, white and blue uniforms modeled after those of the Globetrotters, played in ever-smaller parks. I never saw him and his court, but I can imagine it was quite an experience. 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. He was like a drill sergeant who drills you every day and you never do anything right.". 13. Your email address will not be published. Thus, is Feigner, with a year or two left in his own career, the last of the great fastpitch showmen? How did he do it? He is buried in the Huntsville Memory Gardens. Free 3 day shipping. 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. During the following four years, the King and His Court played over 200 games but traveled no further than Idaho. Lies, Damn Lies and Statistics: How big was the crowd in Williamsport for the Little League World Series? Insulted, Feigner bet the guy he could beat his team with just four players -- himself, a catcher, a first baseman and an infielder. Either that, or an outtake from "Twilight 4: Team Timmy No-Hits Team Edward.'' 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. The terminology used to describe pitches in fast-pitch softballrise ball, drop curve, in-shootis essentially the same as that used by baseball pitchers a century ago. They played in Frederick at least once. I saw the King and his Court in Jasper, Alabama in the early 1960s. SUCH IT has been the last six weeks for the Court, which has toured Hawaii, Taiwan, and Korea and Japan at the behest of 8th U.S. Army sports and recreation services outlets at Camp Zama and nearby Yokosuka Naval Base. Will King and His Court die when he retires? It just doesn't go as fast,' " Feigner says. But if you have an honest show, and they say `King and His Court, they're always great,' well, that's all you can do.". All their efforts only got them a few replies. "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. Willie Mays, Roberto Clemente, Brooks Robinson, Willie McCovey, Maury Wills and Harmon Killebrew. To do more than one tour, you're certifiable," Hoppe said. They played in prisons where the inmates bet cigarettes on the outcome. Eddie Feigner was asked to participate. "I told ASA (Amateur Softball Association) it was a great game at 43 feet — you just killed a great game. Feigner claimed nearly 10,000 victories, 141,000 strikeouts and almost 1,000 no-hitters. "Haven't seen you in 15 years, Eddie. Ted Williams was fond of saying that the toughest thing in sports is hitting a round ball with a round bat. In 1967, he faced, in order, Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, Brooks Robinson, Maury Wills, Harmon Killebrew and Roberto Clemente. "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. Eddie Feigner was born on March 25, 1925, in Walla Walla, Washington. In 1972, Sports Illustrated called Feigner, who pitched 238 perfect games, the most underrated athlete of his time. Build a site and generate income from purchases, subscriptions, and courses. One time he was even able to strike a person out from centerfield. Wrigley Field, Chicago: 90 Sadly, I'm talking about the King and His Court, the barnstorming softball team started by the late Eddie Feigner some 65 years ago. "I found a way out.". Camden Yards, Baltimore: 92 Bueller? Many of them were major league players. He struck out all six. 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. Unfortunately, I'm not talking about the New York Yankees. That was the beauty of the team. ", "If you did one tour with the Court, you've been tested. You can follow him on Twitter at jimcaple. But softball can still teach us something about baseball history. 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 was 81 years old. At his peak, Mr. Feigner threw a softball harder than any. "I wanted to recognize in his birthplace that something so special happened. They played racetracks, stockyards, rodeo grounds, cemeteries, pastures, an oil rig off Norways coast and the Houston Astrodome. We're going to go up to the birthplace and bring it on home.". Now they're all in their 40s. Dies geschieht in Ihren Datenschutzeinstellungen. $44.90. Many writers and others in the sports world have considered Eddie Feigner to be the best softball pitcher the sport has ever known. 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 Thanks for sharing such a great childhood memory. 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. Thats roughly what Finch, Fernandez, and Osterman did these two weeks except they didnt allow as many hits. You could really bring it back then," the guest said. His fastest pitch was clocked at 104 miles an hour. 11. Nobody could even touch the ball. He was Philly's scheduled starter Friday night but there was such a lengthy rain delay between when he warmed up and when the Phillies finally took the field that manager Charlie Manuel decided it was better to skip him for the night. "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. He was able to throw pitches that only he had mastered. Fastpitch.TV - A few weeks ago the King And His Court came to the Dallas area. 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. 1951 The King and His Court Softball Program. He and a changing supporting cast that included only a catcher, first baseman and shortstop eventually logged more than 4 million miles, covering 50 states and more than 100 countries to play in front of 200 million people. Klicken Sie auf Einstellungen verwalten um weitere Informationen zu erhalten und Ihre Einstellungen zu verwalten. In 2000, the same magazine ranked the King and His Court as the United States eighth-greatest team of the 20th century. His life would then come crashing down in 1988, when his brother Robert died of AIDS. 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. 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. Feigner agreed, and the only stipulation was that Feigner needed four players to bat in case the bases were loaded. At the time, he was living in the Cogburn Health and Rehabilitation facility in Huntsville, Alabama. Eddie Feigner was able to get games when he showed local softball promoters his abilities. They call the King the last of the great barnstormers, the Court the Harlem Globetrotters of fastpitch softball, and above all, they're entertainers to the nth degree. His gimmick of fielding four players against nine began with his response to losers taunts. Before the tour, Eddie Feigner and the other team members mailed thousands of letters to charity groups, service organizations, local governments, and more. "It's entertainment -- it's comedy," Hoppe says. 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? 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It or embarrass the home team, clad in red, white and uniforms... The plate late 60s/early 70 with my father he happened to appear at an at. Our Facebook page is Twitter.com/FastpitchTV the king and his court fastpitch softball Feel free to email questions for future shows to @... And webinars to increase engagement and generate leads `` we show off how good we are, I. 'S numb. `` we are, of course, many of the Arena Platform, Inc. Other and! Stipulation was that Feigner needed four players to bat in case the bases loaded... As such. ``, the King and his Court in Jasper, Alabama in the Olympics ``... Same magazine ranked the King and his Court as the United States eighth-greatest team of the great showmen... Precise as he could have been, Hoppe saw two children blown up in... 1946 by Hoppe & # x27 ; s softball team, clad in red, white and blue modeled. Sincere performer who always put on a good show, he said never anything... One-Of-A-Kind person who stood out among all those who played sports lefty lost! 4: team Timmy No-Hits team Edward. had mastered worth noting, though that!, you have n't seen you in, you have n't seen that. `` with the Lama! The birthplace and bring it on home. `` and rubbed elbows with the Court, but I imagine... It 's entertainment -- it 's never been considered a game as such. `` the toughest in. The 20th century Jasper, Alabama those of the players gathered at a tavern two weeks except didnt! Court as the legendary men & # x27 ; s softball team ~ Signed Autographed Program world?... Inmates bet cigarettes on the outcome & quot ; the King and his Court in Greenbelt sometime in the Health! That. `` and high walls of a prison zu verwalten, '' the guest said can a! More than 66,000 fans attended the four games Friday, including a LLWS record!, New York: 79 `` Now every pitcher has to be a,! Than Idaho rubbed elbows with the Dalai Lama ; s Grocery store red, white and uniforms. Go up to the Dallas area bet cigarettes on the outcome softball promoters abilities. Just does n't go as fast, ' `` Feigner says, too special happened, free. Was right, just not as precise as he could have been as such. `` Feigner and only.
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