Of who might take it over, such as his son, Eddie Jr., by first marriage — he has been married three times — Feigner says, "In sports, they say they'll never replace so-and-so. Comerica Park, Detroit: 87 He quickly became a successful businessman and got back into softball, but his alcohol and drug addictions intensified. Feigner, catcher Gary West, first baseman Dave Booth and shortstop Gary Van Prooyen mug it up with true zest. In an era where guys refuse $100 million because it's disrespectful, this is about guys who carried their own bags, washed their own laundry -- and at a very steep price tag to their families. Bayonne native Rich Hoppe, a member of the fast-pitch softball team the King and His Court, on the diamond at Memorial Park in Linden last week. Pitching in hundreds of games against local all-star teams, Feigner won 95 percent of the time. I saw the King and his Court in Pittsfield, MA in the early 1960's. Rogers Centre, Toronto: 75 Prooyen, a six-time national champion whom Feigner calls the "best pitcher at his age (25) today," later pitches an inning or two. I'm still the biggest thing in softball.". Sadly, I'm talking about the King and His Court, the barnstorming softball team started by the late Eddie Feigner some 65 years ago. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Please visit our sponsor Online Fastpitch Softball Superstore "This is big. Jeff, thanks. ", "If you did one tour with the Court, you've been tested. HE HAS a book planned and a movie scripted, but there's no ending to either, yet; thus, they're both on the shelf. 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"). More Impressively, He Even Made a Trip to Toledo Seem Worthwhile: Props to Tigers veteran Brandon Inge, who accepted a demotion to the minors in mid-July and then returned with a home run in his first at-bat back with Detroit on Saturday. 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. Someone like Feigner who can throw a softball 100mph with accuracy is going to strike out a lot of batters. "I got to be part of something where they watch you tie your shoelaces," Hoppe said of the attention the Court occasionally received. In nine games, the Americans allowed one run and 18 hits. It all began in 1946. That gave him season marks of .301, 34 home runs, 101 RBIs, a 1.023 OPS and a 1-0 record. By contrast, the typical American League game last year included 7.65 runs per seven innings. The Marlins will be hard-pressed to equal their two World Series championship at their new ballpark that opens next season. Your email address will not be published. During the game, Eddie Feigner managed to strike out Maury Wills, Willie McCovey, Harmon Killebrew, Brooks Robinson, and Roberto Clemente. Not bad for a fat man. "I told ASA (Amateur Softball Association) it was a great game at 43 feet — you just killed a great game. 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. 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. They endured enough 30-hour rides between cities that Feigner referred to a 10-hour ride as "just down the road apiece. "I miss the guy, I really do. 2. 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. Mary Norton from Ontario, Canada on April 25, 2018: What a beautiful story of a man who worked hard to perfect his game. Later, Booth, who was recruited by Feigner out of the Army at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, when West had his eye removed, hammers a home run, to the oohs and ahs of the crowd. He still signed free autograph after free autograph, as his players hustled programs. But softball can still teach us something about baseball history. Feigner was Sidd Finch with a crewcut, Clint Eastwood with a fastball. 1. The King and His Court got its start the way so many wonderful sagas begin -- in a bar. 5. What amazed most fans that day was how he was able to strike out all of them in a row. Add The Fastpitch Softball TV Show to your social network of choice at fastpitch.tv. 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. 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 . 22. "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. 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. The Ballpark in Arlington, Texas: 77 Call Us: (860) 961-3482 . 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. His gimmick of fielding four players against nine began with his response to losers taunts. I was lucky enough to be invited to come film the event. Their popularity kept growing. "We can't compete with modern entertainment," Hoppe said. or Best Offer. He was the clown prince of softball. Any organization they thought would sponsor a softball game got a letter from them. He struck out all six in succession. Thats roughly what Finch, Fernandez, and Osterman did these two weeks except they didnt allow as many hits. Sie knnen Ihre Einstellungen jederzeit ndern. Unfortunately, I'm not talking about the New York Yankees. 19. 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. His fastball pitch was clocked at over 104 miles an hour. He pitched for Kilburg's Grocery store. If you have a few young girls/guys looking to get into baseball or softball then taking them to one of these games would be. ", The Olympics feature baseball as a demonstration sport, but won't add fastpitch since "the East Bloc doesn't play it; they're trying hard just to play baseball," Feigner said. Feigner developed athletic skills and abilities in ways nobody thought possible. He said: Im a pipsqueak because Im caught in a nothing game. Gary leland is a new media producer of fastpitch softball. Host virtual events and webinars to increase engagement and generate leads. <p> </p> <p>A few weeks ago the King And His Court came to the Dallas Area. information. 1951 The King and His Court Softball Program. Feigner, who at the end made a tiny fraction of the fabulous salaries of baseball players, never slowed down. 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. Poster promoting Eddie Feigner's "King and His Court.". 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. Senator issues ultimatum to Japans prime minister for return of imprisoned Navy officer, Air Force command climate investigation ends with Okinawa commanders removal, First hearing of Houses new Chinese threat committee converges on Taiwan, Army secretary says recruiting troubles are very serious and fixing them could stretch into 2024, You matter: Mother and son spread homemade inspiration at US air base in Japan, K-Town Now features the latest news from the Kaiserslautern Military Community. "I don't know who'll play Eddie Feigner," he said. (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. 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. Thus, is Feigner, with a year or two left in his own career, the last of the great fastpitch showmen? In international competition, the pitchers plate (or rubber, as baseball fans know it) is only 43 feet from home plate. 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. Fr nhere Informationen zur Nutzung Ihrer Daten lesen Sie bitte unsere Datenschutzerklrung und Cookie-Richtlinie. He was amazing. Yes, he faced the Cubs. This episodes trivia question is a simple one, so now its time to play! Because in baseballs early days, the pitchers were required to throw underhand. 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. 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. In the 1905 World Series, New York Giants legend Christy Mathewson tossed three shutouts, allowing only 14 hits in 27 innings. "FASTPITCH IS a lost art — irretrievable in our generation. 20. Nationals Park, Washington: 76 Eddie Feigner formed the King and His Court more than 14,000 games and 4 million miles ago in his hometown of Walla Walla, Wash. Jan 24, 2012 - Produced by http://Fastpitch.TV - A few weeks ago the King And His Court came to the Dallas area. "Now every pitcher has to be a big, strong pitcher. 23K 2.9K comments Feigner swore the tale was true, except that it was a curveball that crossed second base on its way to the plate. He is buried in the Huntsville Memory Gardens. It's always been my Yankee Stadium. "And nobody in their right mind would put slowpitch in the Olympics.". Fastpitch.TV - A few weeks ago the King And His Court came to the Dallas area. And the second is that pitchers can throw harder overhand, and real men like to throw the ball hard. 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. Feigner died in 2007, but his team has continued on without him, like the Glenn Miller Orchestra or Lynyrd Skynyrd (roughly three dozen players have played for the Court over the years). My dad took me to that game at what is now Modern Woodman Park on river front. They were awesome. He struck out all six. If you swing at the ball, youll strike out every time.. 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 . "Haven't seen you in 15 years, Eddie. I just thought that was normal. Hell, if you live anywhere, get to Walla Walla. I can only imagine he was something to have watched. Hoppe and his crew only use a pitcher, a catcher, a first baseman and a shortstop, while the opposition uses nine players. "The King changed my life, and he was the toughest guy I've ever been around. Feigner knew he was the only one of his kind in the history of the world. At his peak, Mr. Feigner threw a softball harder than any major league pitcher has ever thrown a baseball. It will end where it should. According to legend, Feigner was bragging up his skills one night when an opposing player challenged his abilities. 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 . The fastest documented pitch ever thrown by a major league pitcher is 103 mph. It was incredible. All Rights Reserved. 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. I Can See The Steam Spouting From the Steinbrenners' Ears From Here: You want a meaningful race between the Yankees and Red Sox? "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. 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