Sadly, I'm talking about the King and His Court, the barnstorming softball team started by the late Eddie Feigner some 65 years ago. 7. Eddie Feigner was still anxious to play. Feigner knew he was the only one of his kind in the history of the world. Mr. Feigner faced a lineup of six major leaguers (5 of whom were later inducted in the Baseball Hall of Fame). Please visit our sponsor Online Fastpitch Softball Superstore After the game was over, many of the players gathered at a tavern. PNC Park, Pittsburgh: 98 I use to watch him play all the time not realizing what a great player and performer he was. "Hollywood missed a hell of a story. During one game, Feigner had easily beaten a team from Oregon 33-0. "I know what I am, a recovering addict," he said. ". Hoppe remembers playing in 100-degree heat in Tacoma, Wash., one day and in sub-zero cold the next day in Barrow, Alaska. The King and His Court touring team played over ten thousand softball games in a hundred countries from the late 1940s to the beginning of the 21st century..while achieving widespread fame similar to that of theHarlem Globetrotters.as Feigners meticulous records claim 9,743 victories, 141,517 strikeouts, 930 no-hitters and 238 perfect games. On this day in 1967, he happened to appear at an exhibition at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. The King and His Court" and his visit to. HDFeigner, thank you so much for your kind comment. Lies, Damn Lies and Statistics: How big was the crowd in Williamsport for the Little League World Series? 10. "I went to the other side," Hoppe said, referring to his mental state. Eddie Feigner, Hard-Throwing, Barnstorming Showman of Softball, Dies at 81, https://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/13/sports/othersports/13feigner.html. Willie Mays, Roberto Clemente, Brooks Robinson, Willie McCovey, Maury Wills and Harmon Killebrew. This place hasn't exactly been as enticing as Margatitaville but it isn't that terrible either, especially as multi-purpose stadiums go. ! 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Tropicana Field, Tampa Bay: 68. On The Tonight Show, a blindfolded Feigner knocked a cigar from Johnny Carsons mouth. 13. He was a hard-boiled egg. To do more than one tour, you're certifiable," Hoppe said. What amazed most fans that day was how he was able to strike out all of them in a row. Learn about Eddie and the Court, who first brought fastpitch to TV and mainstream America from the people who lived. It's absolutely like your life is flashing in front of you," Hoppe said. That gave him season marks of .301, 34 home runs, 101 RBIs, a 1.023 OPS and a 1-0 record. Too bad we didn't have today's technology back then. And that feeling has never left. They keep the batters guessing with rise balls, drop balls, curves, and in-shoots. "The day of the barnstormer is buried this Saturday.". VHS Tape, "How to Pitch Fast Pitch Softball Basic Styles With Eddie Feigner of The King and His Court" [autographed]. In the 1905 World Series, New York Giants legend Christy Mathewson tossed three shutouts, allowing only 14 hits in 27 innings. Merrick, N.Y., 1974. Barnstorming softball faded into the Americana of wooden roller coasters and hula hoops. If you live anywhere in the Northwest, go to Walla Walla this Saturday to see the end of an era. We need heroes now especially in the Sports world. If you haven't seen the King and His Court, well, it's your own damn fault. In softball, there are no famous hitters, only famous pitchers. Power your marketing strategy with perfectly branded videos to drive better ROI. Progressive Field, Cleveland: 82 Target Field, Minneapolis: 91 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. Due to a planned power outage on Friday, 1/14, between 8am-1pm PST, some services may be impacted. Kids who are 10 or 11 years old, they click on the boob tube and say why play fastpitch when there's no pro league, you can't get a scholarship offer for it, and I can play baseball, football, basketball and make good money at it? YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Fr nhere Informationen zur Nutzung Ihrer Daten lesen Sie bitte unsere Datenschutzerklrung und Cookie-Richtlinie. His fastball pitch was clocked at over 104 miles an hour. Host virtual events and webinars to increase engagement and generate leads. "I'm still the best pitcher in the world today, baseball or softball; I just don't have the blinding speed any more. Feigner was Sidd Finch with a crewcut, Clint Eastwood with a fastball. He was 81. They were awesome. Thus, is Feigner, with a year or two left in his own career, the last of the great fastpitch showmen? In nine games, the Americans allowed one run and 18 hits. Before the tour, Eddie Feigner and the other team members mailed thousands of letters to charity groups, service organizations, local governments, and more. "I'll see a batter come up and, remember something about his stance or something and say, `El Paso, '74, right?' 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. 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. This week I show you about 10 minutes of the event. They wore patriotic-looking uniforms and blended vaudeville bits into their ballgames. For Hoppe, it all started in 1961 when he was a junior in high school and saw Feigner and his team play in Bayonne. 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. Individuals inducted into the Shrine of the Eternals must have altered how the world views the game of baseball. (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. It has been estimated the team played over 10,000 softball games in over 100 countries. (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 2000, in their six games against China, Japan, and Australiaarguably the Americans toughest competitionthe U.S. team scored only six runs. Visit the Fastpitch TV Show's website at Fastpitch.TV, You can find our softball iPhone App at FastpitchApps.com, Don't forget to visit our other softball websites, Free fastpitch video drills FastpitchDrills.com, A search engine for softball - FastpitchSearch.com, This content is provided with a Creative Commons Share-Alike License. He discovered that his birth mother lived nearby and that as a teenager he had mowed her lawn. I was lucky enough to be invited to come film the event. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. 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. "I found a way out.". Upon returning home after two years at war, Hoppe opened a bar in Bayonne and began attending night school. I wonder if he wanted to be a MLB player if he would have done so well. The team started by traveling around the United States, Canada, and Mexico to play local softball teams. In the 1940s, when countless small towns had softball leagues, the King and His Court was one among many barnstormers. Coors Field, Denver: 87 He pitched for Kilburg's Grocery store. He struck out all six in succession. Im now 66 years old. Into that steel trap memory delves Feigner, 65, a fastpitch softball trouper for some 44 years. Now they're all in their 40s. I never saw him and his court, but I can imagine it was quite an experience. Five of the six were later elected to Cooperstown. A bar in Bayonne and began attending night school OPS and a 1-0 record,! Finch with a fastball a bar in Bayonne and began attending night school first. 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