2023 The Arena Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers on this website. Skip to main content. He was more than a player; he was a showman. "Now every pitcher has to be a big, strong pitcher. Marshall, thanks for sharing! 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. He was part of more than 56 foreign tours. In 1967, he faced, in order, Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, Brooks Robinson, Maury Wills, Harmon Killebrew and Roberto Clemente. Feigner agreed, and the only stipulation was that Feigner needed four players to bat in case the bases were loaded. He was like a drill sergeant who drills you every day and you never do anything right.". 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. Sie knnen Ihre Einstellungen jederzeit ndern. Founded in 1946 by Hoppe's mentor, "The King" Eddie Feigner, the. He is buried in the Huntsville Memory Gardens. "YEAH, THAT'S why I'm gonna steal," retorts Booth, to the delight of the crowd. I Can See The Steam Spouting From the Steinbrenners' Ears From Here: You want a meaningful race between the Yankees and Red Sox? There are, of course, many hundreds of human beings who can hit a low-90s fastball. The team started by traveling around the United States, Canada, and Mexico to play local softball teams. Due to a planned power outage on Friday, 1/14, between 8am-1pm PST, some services may be impacted. 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. Eddie Feigner passed away on February 9, 2007, from complications associated with dementia. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Its like being a world-champion nose-blower.. "I went to the other side," Hoppe said, referring to his mental state. All rights reserved. He would be able to pitch against some of the biggest names in Major League Baseball. I just thought that was normal. Hoppe remembers playing in 100-degree heat in Tacoma, Wash., one day and in sub-zero cold the next day in Barrow, Alaska. This episodes trivia question is a simple one, so now its time to play! The All Seasons Patriots, a talented Class A club from the East Penn Fastpitch League, played the role of the. Insulted, Feigner bet the guy he could beat his team with just four players -- himself, a catcher, a first baseman and an infielder. Barnstorming softball faded into the Americana of wooden roller coasters and hula hoops. Yes, he faced the Cubs. This year, Team USA won again and was even more dominant. Now they're all in their 40s. Five of the six were later elected to Cooperstown. It's your last chance to see a legend, and as the King would say, it's just down the road apiece. Chase Field, Phoenix: 76.5 It's beyond dangerous, it's numb.". "I told ASA (Amateur Softball Association) it was a great game at 43 feet — you just killed a great game. The King and His Court came to Davenport in the Summer of 1965. 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. 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. considered signing a hotshot Canadian softball pitcher. His fastball pitch was clocked at over 104 miles an hour. He was able to hit the ball as well as he could pitch it. 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. He died of respiratory complications, said Del Reddy, a friend. Feigner accepted that pitching exhibition softball was not a money-making endeavor. And anyway, fast-pitch pitchers dont just throw fastballs. SoftballJunk.com is a great resource to find the perfect fastpitch softball bat just for you! Challenges to play local softball teams came from around the state of Washington. VHS Tape, "How to Pitch Fast Pitch Softball Basic Styles With Eddie Feigner of The King and His Court" [autographed]. That was the beauty of the team. As the team ate and slept in their station wagon, they discovered something in El Paso, TX. In international competition, the pitchers plate (or rubber, as baseball fans know it) is only 43 feet from home plate. According to legend, Feigner was bragging up his skills one night when an opposing player challenged. <p> </p> <p>A few weeks ago the King And His Court came to the Dallas Area. ", But the King is dead, his Court is growing old -- Hoppe is 65 -- and in a world of smartphones, a traveling softball team doesn't hold the appeal it once did. "I know what I am, a recovering addict," he said. Eddie Feigner, "What Little I Know About Pitching and Hitting", 7. Ted Williams was fond of saying that the toughest thing in sports is hitting a round ball with a round bat. 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 . 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. SPORTS LEGEND Eddie Feigner was the King And His Court a Professional Softball. 255) may be the equivalent of the high school annual photo. Inspire employees with compelling live and on-demand video experiences. 1983 The King and His Court ~ 4-Man Softball Team ~ Signed Autographed Program. 1951 The King and His Court Softball Program. 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. Eddie Feigner was a one-of-a-kind person who stood out among all those who played sports. This week I show you about 10 minutes of the event. Feigner developed athletic skills and abilities in ways nobody thought possible. The King and His Court went to towns even McDonald's ignores. I give this one a difficulty rating of 6.0. In the 2000 Olympics, the gold-medal-winning U.S. softball team allowed only seven runs and 24 hits in 10 games. 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? Too bad we didn't have today's technology back then. 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. Will King and His Court die when he retires? 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. The King and His Court remain the Harlem Globetrotters of fastpitch. ". It took me years to talk about it," Hoppe said. It all began in 1946. The greatest team that ever stepped onto a diamond is playing its last game this weekend. But Hoppe's story is about more than just trick pitches and entertaining a crowd. The news of a four-man team beating nine players spread all over the state. In 2000, the same magazine ranked the King and His Court as the United States eighth-greatest team of the 20th century. "We need some runs against this team. included in the interview is Leslie Barber, Charlie Dobbins, Dave Booth, Bob Hale, Ron Davenport and Michael Branchaud. Have you seen the (Zama) catcher throw?". 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. 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. 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). Feigner claimed nearly 10,000 victories, 141,000 strikeouts and almost 1,000 no-hitters. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. The King and His Court" and his visit to. ), 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. Its just that the conditions of the game simply dont allow even the greatest hitters to be successful often enough for anybody to notice. You may also leave questions, or comments on our call in line 209-softbal. 2005-2023 CBS INTERACTIVE ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. After the game was over, many of the players gathered at a tavern. 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 Log in, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window). Its a little long, but great memories of a long gone era.. Become an Annual VIP member today and get access to VIP content, ad-free forums & more. 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. "It's entertainment -- it's comedy," Hoppe says. His team, clad in red, white and blue uniforms modeled after those of the Globetrotters, played in ever-smaller parks. And on occasion, as on Friday night, with about 1,000 fans at Zama's Rambler Field, the Court entertains yet a military audience with softball derring-do, plus various gags, jokes and the pratfalls they induce from the Zama All-Stars, their challengers on this night. Good luck, Jeff. He struck out all six in succession. They wore patriotic-looking uniforms and blended vaudeville bits into their ballgames. 22. A former marine with a crew cut and a right arm noticeably more muscular than his left, Feigner threw hard. Feigner played in front of millions of people and traveled millions of miles around the world. It would be really fun to watch videos of some of that stuff. Add The Fastpitch Softball TV Show to your social network of choice at fastpitch.tv. "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. "In the last 10 to 15 years, it's never been considered a game as such.". I wonder if he wanted to be a MLB player if he would have done so well. Eddie Feigner was asked to participate. They endured enough 30-hour rides between cities that Feigner referred to a 10-hour ride as "just down the road apiece. We need heroes now especially in the Sports world. Into that steel trap memory delves Feigner, 65, a fastpitch softball trouper for some 44 years. 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Hey, I'm a big Tim Lincecum fan but this card (2010 Topps 206, No. 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. Many writers and others in the sports world have considered Eddie Feigner to be the best softball pitcher the sport has ever known. But its usually not just Team USAs opponents who struggle to score. 3. Build a site and generate income from purchases, subscriptions, and courses. They were awesome. 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. Mary, thanks. "This is big. He and his court, which included only a catcher, first-baseman and shortstop, played everywhere from Yankee Stadium to the Great Wall of China. You'll need it. Sadly, I'm talking about the King and His Court, the barnstorming softball team started by the late Eddie Feigner some 65 years ago. The Ballpark in Arlington, Texas: 77 "It became my anchor," Hoppe said. 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.". 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 a great event for the whole family! In 1950, the team members, as well as Feigner, were unemployed. Any organization they thought would sponsor a softball game got a letter from them. HDFeigner, thank you so much for your kind comment. "I'll see a batter come up and, remember something about his stance or something and say, `El Paso, '74, right?' 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. What amazed most fans that day was how he was able to strike out all of them in a row. He was 81 years old. The Quad Cities had gathered an All-Star team of fast pitch softball players and beat The King and In 2000, in their six games against China, Japan, and Australiaarguably the Americans toughest competitionthe U.S. team scored only six runs. How did he do it? All Rights Reserved. His underhand fastball was once timed at 104 mphsome accounts had it clocked at 114 mph. It will end where it should. 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. "Hey Eddie," calls Booth after reaching second on a double. Eddie had a catcher, a !B and a SS. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. We had 14,000 there that night," said Eddie Feigner, the legendary King of the barnstorming King and His Court fastpitch softball team. They played racetracks, stockyards, rodeo grounds, cemeteries, pastures, an oil rig off Norways coast and the Houston Astrodome. Though it would be nice if Florida ownership could have found the money to keep the out of town scoreboard. 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. Too dumb to quit, he growled. Of course, the Stones never played my hometown or the hundreds of other towns that are even smaller. 23K 2.9K comments "Almost all the good pitchers the last 20 years came from Canada or New Zealand; that kept ASA alive the last 10 or 15 years. The Marlins are about to enter their final month at their home stadium, which has had seven official names (if you count minor changes from Park to Stadium and from Dolphin to Dolphins), none of them ever spoken in endearing terms. Thus, is Feigner, with a year or two left in his own career, the last of the great fastpitch showmen? He even pitched blindfolded from second base for one inning. 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. And the guy blinks and says, `Right.' "Hollywood missed a hell of a story. He pitched behind his back, from second base, between his legs, when kneeling and, of course, while blindfolded. It has taken him all over the world, playing in the smallest of American towns, at USO events for American soldiers, and even in prisons against inmates. 2. 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. Nationals Park, Washington: 76 My favorite was Land Shark Stadium, which it was called for one year after a deal with Jimmy Buffet. "I don't know who'll play Eddie Feigner," he said. On The Tonight Show, a blindfolded Feigner knocked a cigar from Johnny Carsons mouth. 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. from around the world. 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. 14. With all that said, Feigner was amazing. The fastest documented pitch ever thrown by a major league pitcher is 103 mph. 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. ", You know the rules. Thats roughly what Finch, Fernandez, and Osterman did these two weeks except they didnt allow as many hits. In 1981, there was a strike in Major League Baseball. 19. A baseball batter has no concept how to hit a fastball that rises like mine, or sliders and curves that break 18 inches.. 13. Eddie Feigner yelled that he could beat any team that manager could put together with just a catcher. Your email address will not be published. He said: Im a pipsqueak because Im caught in a nothing game. 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. 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. It was incredible. Free 3 day shipping. He made Nolan Ryan look like a Little Leaguer. 1. Top Rated Plus. My dad took me to that game at what is now Modern Woodman Park on river front. Also, they would occasionally be on Wide World of Sports. 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. You are very lucky to have had such a special grandfather. He is a member of theBaseball Reliquary. (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. In 2002, ESPN.com listed Feigner as one of the 10 greatest pitchers in a list that included Walter Johnson and Sandy Koufax. Anne Marie, Feigners fourth wife, became the first woman on the team. "The King changed my life, and he was the toughest guy I've ever been around. If you haven't seen the King and His Court, well, it's your own damn fault. This Amateur Softball Association (ASA) had forbidden its members to play against Eddie Feigner and his team. "And nobody in their right mind would put slowpitch in the Olympics.". SoftballJunk.com is a great resource to find the perfect fastpitch softball bat just for you!. Gary leland is a new media producer of fastpitch softball. Feigner had an exaggerated windup and he would do things like pitch blindfolded, or pitch an inning from behind second base. By Douglas Martin. PNC Park, Pittsburgh: 98 I saw the King and his Court in Pittsfield, MA in the early 1960's. Softball never had the following or respect of Major League Baseball. At the time, he was living in the Cogburn Health and Rehabilitation facility in Huntsville, Alabama. Feigner was able to play an exhibition game in front of more than 15,500 fans at the Silverdome located in Pontiac, Michigan. "Haven't seen you in 15 years, Eddie. (Theyre currently on a 79-game winning streak.) In the 1905 World Series, New York Giants legend Christy Mathewson tossed three shutouts, allowing only 14 hits in 27 innings. Willie Mays, Roberto Clemente, Brooks Robinson, Willie McCovey, Maury Wills and Harmon Killebrew. 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. Thanks for sharing such a great childhood memory. The Marlins will be hard-pressed to equal their two World Series championship at their new ballpark that opens next season. Eventually, they began to travel around the globe to play softball. They escaped flash floods and tornadoes. And the second is that pitchers can throw harder overhand, and real men like to throw the ball hard. When joining the Marines during World War II, he had to find details of his birth. Many of them were major league players. And maybe he deserved it. He couldn't be a showman and entertainer as well as an athlete if he played professional sports. He was the clown prince of softball. He pitched for Kilburg's Grocery store. Their popularity kept growing. "Rage and obsession can make you do amazing things," he explained. Marco Polo would have been jealous. But if youd like to know what the game was like around 1900, Olympic softball is probably a better analogue than the current iteration of Major League Baseball. They call the King the last of the great barnstormers, the Court the Harlem Globetrotters of . Which is why the King always had four players. Meanwhile, as ESPN colleague Doug Kern points out, the last four Rays home games drew just 61,897. Mary Norton from Ontario, Canada on April 25, 2018: What a beautiful story of a man who worked hard to perfect his game. The King and His court is an extremely entertaining show to go watch! And there were not enough bare-chested women, though there were a few of those, too. The six? A celebrity charity softball game was held in February of 1967. Eddie Feigner, Hard-Throwing, Barnstorming Showman of Softball, Dies at 81, https://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/13/sports/othersports/13feigner.html. Wrigley Field, Chicago: 90 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. Hoppe has fought his own wars away from the diamond, on the battlefields of Vietnam and in the darkest trenches of his personal life. the guest nearly shrieked. His fastball was clocked at 104 miles an hour. Adding teams to the postseason doesn't increase the tension of pennant races, it diminishes it. 11. It played in Saudi Arabia, the jungles of Thailand and near the DMZ between North and South Korea. Over the years, the Court played everywhere, with Feigner firing his 100-plus mph heater (once measured at 112 mph) from behind his back, through his legs, from second base and even while blindfolded. Fastpitch.TV - A few weeks ago the King And His Court came to the Dallas area. 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. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. "I was a broken man.". "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. A story is told of the time he stood in right field at Yankee Stadium and fired an underhand fastball over home plate. Im now 66 years old. Not enough people died, I guess. 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. Inductees have included Roberto Clemente, Jackie Robinson, Vin Scully, Satchel Paige, and others. 15. He was abandoned as an infant and was named Myrle King by his adoptive parents. Before the tour, Eddie Feigner and the other team members mailed thousands of letters to charity groups, service organizations, local governments, and more. 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. Camden Yards, Baltimore: 92 Jan 24, 2012 - Produced by http://Fastpitch.TV - A few weeks ago the King And His Court came to the Dallas area. To do more than one tour, you're certifiable," Hoppe said. "We show off how good we are, but don't flaunt it or embarrass the home team," he said. Comerica Park, Detroit: 87 He is Rich Hoppe -- Bayonne native and pitcher for the King and His Court, the iconic four-man barnstorming softball team. Unfortunately, I'm not talking about the New York Yankees. Basketball has the Harlem Globetrotters. 6. ", 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. "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. 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 . 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. Please visit our sponsor Online Fastpitch Softball Superstore Rogers Centre, Toronto: 75 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. "You don't care. I can only imagine he was something to have watched. Jeff, thanks. Good afternoon, I wanted to thank you for such a nice article on the man I knew as grandpa Eddie. . 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.

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