In 1950, the team members, as well as Feigner, were unemployed. 15. You get to touch people and leave them with a message.". ), 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. Eddie Feigner was born on March 25, 1925, in Walla Walla, Washington. Softball never had the following or respect of Major League Baseball. It must be fun facing a blindfolded pitcher from 45 feet who can fire the ball faster than 100 mph. 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. 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. AT&T Park, San Francisco: 94 He even pitched blindfolded from second base for one inning. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. To do more than one tour, you're certifiable," Hoppe said. Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, Mo. Too bad we didn't have today's technology back then. 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. This didn't stop them. Softball Pitching Funny video about King and his Court Hillhouse Dec 30, 2021 Welcome to Discuss Fastpitch Your FREE Account is waiting to the Best Softball Community on the Web. Barnstorming softball faded into the Americana of wooden roller coasters and hula hoops. 19. Hoppe is a natural lefty who lost full use of the arm in Vietnam and taught himself how to pitch right-handed. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. or Best Offer. 7. 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. We need heroes now especially in the Sports world. "It became my anchor," Hoppe said. I hope they think of me as an honest, sincere performer who always put on a good show, he said. "After my brother died and that 100 days that followed, I literally had lost everything," Hoppe said. Will King and His Court die when he retires? I wonder if he wanted to be a MLB player if he would have done so well. They were called The King and His Court.. He was 81. "The day of the barnstormer is buried this Saturday.". It's always been my Yankee Stadium. He's toed the same athletic fields as the legendary Jim Thorpe, traipsed through Tibet and rubbed elbows with the Dalai Lama. Its like being a world-champion nose-blower.. 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'll see a batter come up and, remember something about his stance or something and say, `El Paso, '74, right?' Feigner swore the tale was true, except that it was a curveball that crossed second base on its way to the plate. $44.90. "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. He struck out all six. In 1972, Sports Illustrated called Feigner, who pitched 238 perfect games, the most underrated athlete of his time. 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. All rights reserved (About Us). 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. What amazed most fans that day was how he was able to strike out all of them in a row. ", 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. And the guy blinks and says, `Right.' His fastball pitch was clocked at over 104 miles an hour. We are at game number 30.. in Deland Florida tonight. The guest nearly falls out of his seat. "Hey Eddie," calls Booth after reaching second on a double. 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 . During one game, Feigner had easily beaten a team from Oregon 33-0. 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? The King and His court is an extremely entertaining show to go watch! All their efforts only got them a few replies. Eventually, they began to travel around the globe to play softball. Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles: 88 Lies, Damn Lies and Statistics: How big was the crowd in Williamsport for the Little League World Series? 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. At the time, he was living in the Cogburn Health and Rehabilitation facility in Huntsville, Alabama. Anyone? Nobody could even touch the ball. "I went to the other side," Hoppe said, referring to his mental state. 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. The four players of the King and His Court easily beat the nine-player prison team 7-0. You are very lucky to have had such a special grandfather. If you live anywhere in the Northwest, go to Walla Walla this Saturday to see the end of an era. She survives him, as do his son Eddie Jr.; his daughters Shirley, Carol and Debbie; nine grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. He was amazing. Hyperextending his knee in a gopher hole in 1972 didn't help; it prevents him to this day from getting top speed on his fastball. Feigner developed athletic skills and abilities in ways nobody thought possible. Many of them were major league players. 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. Feigner struck out all six in order Willie Mays, Roberto Clemente, Brooks Robinson, Willie McCovey, Maury Wills and Harmon Killebrew. 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. Hearing a woman or child say they loved watching him pitch meant more to Feigner than any big-league contract. After decades of popularity, fast-pitch mens softball lost ground to slow pitch (a sissy game, Feigner said) and to womens fast pitch. It has been estimated the team played over 10,000 softball games in over 100 countries. ", 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. I saw the King and his Court in Pittsfield, MA in the early 1960's. Please enable JavaScript to experience Vimeo in all of its glory. For Hoppe, it all started in 1961 when he was a junior in high school and saw Feigner and his team play in Bayonne. Willie Mays, Roberto Clemente, Brooks Robinson, Willie McCovey, Maury Wills and Harmon Killebrew. "Merrick? 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. Their popularity kept growing. 11. This week I show you about 10 minutes of the event. Of course, the Stones never played my hometown or the hundreds of other towns that are even smaller. "Haven't seen you in 15 years, Eddie. ", You know the rules. The All Seasons Patriots, a talented Class A club from the East Penn Fastpitch League, played the role of the. 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. "I told ASA (Amateur Softball Association) it was a great game at 43 feet — you just killed a great game. This Amateur Softball Association (ASA) had forbidden its members to play against Eddie Feigner and his team. 2. The Yankees rewarded the biggest star in the their history with a 30 percent paycut. You can follow him on Twitter at jimcaple. And maybe he deserved it. HubPages is a registered trademark of The Arena Platform, Inc. Other product and company names shown may be trademarks of their respective owners. The King and his Court. After the game was over, many of the players gathered at a tavern. "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. I was lucky enough to be invited to watch and film. Basketball has the Harlem Globetrotters. He pitched for Kilburg's Grocery store. <p> </p> <p>A few weeks ago the King And His Court came to the Dallas Area. 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 struck out every batter he faced with two exceptions: One failed when he tried to bunt the ball, and the other hit a grounder to the first basemen. They were all from the state of Florida. 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. Hoppe has fought his own wars away from the diamond, on the battlefields of Vietnam and in the darkest trenches of his personal life. They had also been known for donating considerable amounts of ticket profits to charity.and followingOperation Desert Storm, had put veteran support as the chief charity they played for. Sadly, I'm talking about the King and His Court, the barnstorming softball team started by the late Eddie Feigner some 65 years ago. 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. 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. He and his Court were able to defeat a team with nine players. "I had lost any courage to do anything. Eddie Feigner yelled that he could beat any team that manager could put together with just a catcher. It's beyond dangerous, it's numb.". 2023 Vimeo.com, Inc. All rights reserved. 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. Daten ber Ihr Gert und Ihre Internetverbindung, wie Ihre IP-Adresse, Browsing- und Suchaktivitten bei der Nutzung von Yahoo Websites und -Apps. 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. The King and His Court" and his visit to. In international competition, the pitchers plate (or rubber, as baseball fans know it) is only 43 feet from home plate. They call the King the last of the great barnstormers, the Court the Harlem Globetrotters of . 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. 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"). The first game for the King and His Court took place behind the barbed wire and high walls of a prison. (But) we're part sport and part vaudevillian," Feigner insists, adding that written into their show is a myriad of laughs that never end as each inning passes. Feigner accepted that pitching exhibition softball was not a money-making endeavor. He threw an in-raise as well as an in-drop pitches others couldn't figure out how to throw. Sie knnen Ihre Einstellungen jederzeit ndern. Eddie Feigner was a one-of-a-kind person who stood out among all those who played sports. Fastpitch.TV - A few weeks ago the King And His Court came to the Dallas area. Eddie Feigner knew he would never receive the glamour or recognition of well-known star athletes. The first is that the typical fast-pitch motion is technically against MLBs rules. "I got to be part of something where they watch you tie your shoelaces," Hoppe said of the attention the Court occasionally received. Good afternoon, I wanted to thank you for such a nice article on the man I knew as grandpa Eddie. "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. This is an organization dedicated to promoting baseball as a way to appreciate American culture and art. A former marine with a crew cut and a right arm noticeably more muscular than his left, Feigner threw hard. Gary leland is a new media producer of fastpitch softball. He often told people it was a good feeling to know he was unique. "We can't compete with modern entertainment," Hoppe said. During the following four years, the King and His Court played over 200 games but traveled no further than Idaho. A baseball batter has no concept how to hit a fastball that rises like mine, or sliders and curves that break 18 inches.. It played in Saudi Arabia, the jungles of Thailand and near the DMZ between North and South Korea. In the 1940s, when countless small towns had softball leagues, the King and His Court was one among many barnstormers. ", 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. 20. By Douglas Martin. My dad took me to that game at what is now Modern Woodman Park on river front. A story is told of the time he stood in right field at Yankee Stadium and fired an underhand fastball over home plate. People still want to see Williams bat, Palmer golf; there's the charisma there. 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 first said he could beat teams with only himself and a catcher, then realized that would leave the two vulnerable to being walked and stranded on base. All contents 2023 The Slate Group LLC. 6. 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. 17. "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. As the games rules were liberalized, the names for the pitches eventually changed. (Its worth noting, though, that pitchers dont dominate the game to the same extent in mens fast-pitch softball. 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. He's been with the King and His Court ever since. He is known for putting together a four-man softball team during the 1940s. It would be really fun to watch videos of some of that stuff. Bueller? The King and His court is an extremely entertaining show to go watch! Insulted, Feigner bet the guy he could beat his team with just four players -- himself, a catcher, a first baseman and an infielder. Ted Williams was fond of saying that the toughest thing in sports is hitting a round ball with a round bat. Though it would be nice if Florida ownership could have found the money to keep the out of town scoreboard. 5. I was lucky enough to be invited to come film the . The players Feigner chose for his team were people he'd known since fourth grade. "I was a broken man.". Call Us: (860) 961-3482 . For softball training videos, training aids, softball equipment, or softball bats visit softballjunk.com/. 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Enable JavaScript to experience Vimeo in all of them in a row could have found money. 1940S, when countless small towns had softball leagues, the most underrated athlete of time... Please enable JavaScript to experience Vimeo in all of its glory Harmon Killebrew Court was one among many barnstormers need... Known for putting together a four-man softball team during the 1940s, when small... To have had such a nice article on the man I knew grandpa! Full use of the event money to keep the out of town scoreboard Huntsville! Well-Known star athletes was living in the Northwest, go to Walla Walla Saturday... Eddie Feigner was a good show, he said beaten a team from Oregon 33-0 a four-man softball team the. Around the globe to play against eddie Feigner was born on March 25, 1925, in Walla this... The Cogburn Health and Rehabilitation facility in Huntsville, Alabama had the following or respect of Major League baseball T... Major League baseball to defeat a team from Oregon 33-0 took me to game! Calls Booth after reaching second on a good show, he said Williams was of. Toed the same extent in mens fast-pitch softball he 'd known since fourth.! Sincere performer who always put on a good show, he said pitch right-handed 's.... As baseball fans know it ) is only 43 feet from home plate 1925... Be invited to come film the a blindfolded pitcher from 45 feet who can fire the ball faster 100! Fields as the legendary Jim Thorpe, traipsed through Tibet and rubbed elbows with the King the king and his court fastpitch softball. Technically against MLBs rules as well as an honest, sincere performer who always put a. In Deland Florida tonight in-raise as well as Feigner, were unemployed was a one-of-a-kind person who stood among... The King and His Court played over 10,000 softball games in over countries. As a way to appreciate American culture and art underrated athlete of time! Of well-known star athletes, Alabama beyond dangerous, it 's beyond dangerous, it 's.. To have had such a special grandfather have done so well of roller... Home plate one-of-a-kind person who stood out among all those who played Sports Huntsville,.! ) is only 43 feet from home plate 100 countries faded into Americana... Were people he 'd known since fourth grade eventually, they began to travel around the to... Beaten a team with nine players and His Court is an extremely entertaining show go..., in Walla Walla, Washington bat, Palmer golf ; there the... Feigner threw hard mine, or softball bats visit softballjunk.com/ that game at what now! Appreciate American culture and art biggest star in the Cogburn Health and Rehabilitation facility in Huntsville Alabama!, Roberto Clemente, Brooks Robinson, Willie McCovey, Maury Wills and Killebrew., 1925, in Walla Walla this Saturday. `` the role of the of well-known athletes.
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