Mary Norton from Ontario, Canada on April 25, 2018: What a beautiful story of a man who worked hard to perfect his game. The decline of fastpitch, Feigner says, began shortly after he left the service. The King and His Court came to Davenport in the Summer of 1965. I saw the King and his Court in Pittsfield, MA in the early 1960's. I just thought that was normal. During one game, Feigner had easily beaten a team from Oregon 33-0. 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. How did he do it? As the games rules were liberalized, the names for the pitches eventually changed. Feigner agreed, and the only stipulation was that Feigner needed four players to bat in case the bases were loaded. 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. 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 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. 3. The news of a four-man team beating nine players spread all over the state. In 1967, he faced, in order, Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, Brooks Robinson, Maury Wills, Harmon Killebrew and Roberto Clemente. During a 1967 exhibition game at Dodger Stadium, Eddie Feigner faced a lineup of six big leaguers. The first is that the typical fast-pitch motion is technically against MLBs rules. 20. The last 100 games of the King and his Court. Don't add another wild card and a hokey one-game playoff -- just eliminate the wild card. It took me years to talk about it," Hoppe said. 22. They call the King the last of the great barnstormers, the Court the Harlem Globetrotters of . The King and his Court. 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. 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. It all began in 1946. Eddie had a catcher, a !B and a SS. Into that steel trap memory delves Feigner, 65, a fastpitch softball trouper for some 44 years. Which isnt to say there arent great hittersof course there are. There are a couple of reasons. Camden Yards, Baltimore: 92 He was part of more than 56 foreign tours. Feigner had an exaggerated windup and he would do things like pitch blindfolded, or pitch an inning from behind second base. I think I'll steal third. If you swing at the ball, youll strike out every time.. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. gary leland. The first game for the King and His Court took place behind the barbed wire and high walls of a prison. Become an Annual VIP member today and get access to VIP content, ad-free forums & more. Sem a necessidade de instalar ou se inscrever 209 Softball Academy Podcast | Hitting Philosophy. He is Rich Hoppe -- Bayonne native and pitcher for the King and His Court, the iconic four-man barnstorming softball team. 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. Oh yeah, Eisenhower Park. The six? 255) may be the equivalent of the high school annual photo. 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 . He pitched behind his back, from second base, between his legs, when kneeling and, of course, while blindfolded. Its like being a world-champion nose-blower.. "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. The King and His Court got its start the way so many wonderful sagas begin -- in a bar. Too bad we didn't have today's technology back then. 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. Eddie Feigner knew he would never receive the glamour or recognition of well-known star athletes. Of course, the Stones never played my hometown or the hundreds of other towns that are even smaller. Feigner played in over 5,000 games and struck out over 15,000 people when he was blindfolded. Nobody could even touch the ball. Score isn't kept, and in fact, you're likely to see Hoppe or one of his teammates run from first base across the infield to third, bypassing second base altogether, to the laughter and enjoyment of the crowd. "We can't compete with modern entertainment," Hoppe said. This week I show you about 10 minutes of the event. He was abandoned as an infant and was named Myrle King by his adoptive parents. He was amazing. Hoppe is a natural lefty who lost full use of the arm in Vietnam and taught himself how to pitch right-handed. The guest nearly falls out of his seat. We had 14,000 there that night," said Eddie Feigner, the legendary King of the barnstorming King and His Court fastpitch softball team. I guess in order to even make contact with the ball, you'd have to start your swing before he even released it and trust that it would be somewhere in the strike zone. Feigner claimed nearly 10,000 victories, 141,000 strikeouts and almost 1,000 no-hitters. Safeco Field, Seattle: 87 This week I show you about 10 minutes of the event. Daten ber Ihr Gert und Ihre Internetverbindung, wie Ihre IP-Adresse, Browsing- und Suchaktivitten bei der Nutzung von Yahoo Websites und -Apps. What you should have noticed in this fragment is that Ruth not only is listed as the pitcher, he's listed as the only pitcher in the Yankees boxcore. Eddie Feigner was still anxious to play. During the game, Eddie Feigner managed to strike out Maury Wills, Willie McCovey, Harmon Killebrew, Brooks Robinson, and Roberto Clemente. Eddie Feigner did this when he was 56 years old. They endured enough 30-hour rides between cities that Feigner referred to a 10-hour ride as "just down the road apiece. A celebrity charity softball game was held in February of 1967. In those games, an average of 3.8 runs were scored per seven innings. 15. He was able to hit the ball as well as he could pitch it. He struck out all six. 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. I use to watch him play all the time not realizing what a great player and performer he was. A story is told of the time he stood in right field at Yankee Stadium and fired an underhand fastball over home plate. The manager walked past Feigner at the tavern and made a nasty comment about Feigner's pitching ability. And anyway, fast-pitch pitchers dont just throw fastballs. Thanks for sharing such a great childhood memory. Add The Fastpitch Softball TV Show to your social network of choice at fastpitch.tv. If you haven't seen the King and His Court, well, it's your own damn fault. 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. According to legend, Feigner was bragging up his skills one night when an opposing player challenged. He took her last name and the name Eddie from a friend. "I miss the guy, I really do. In the 2000 Olympics, the gold-medal-winning U.S. softball team allowed only seven runs and 24 hits in 10 games. I hope they think of me as an honest, sincere performer who always put on a good show, he said. Eddie Feigner winds up during a game at Camp Zama, Japan, in May, 1989. It just doesn't go as fast,' " Feigner says. Inductees have included Roberto Clemente, Jackie Robinson, Vin Scully, Satchel Paige, and others. Free returns. : 86 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 wanted to recognize in his birthplace that something so special happened. $44.90. I never saw him and his court, but I can imagine it was quite an experience. 1983 The King and His Court ~ 4-Man Softball Team ~ Signed Autographed Program. 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. What amazed most fans that day was how he was able to strike out all of them in a row. The friends got together and decided it was time to take their game on the road. Oua 194 Softball Trivia Podcast | King And His Court Original Pitcher e noventa e nove episdios mais de Fastpitch Softball Radio Network, de graa! information. Feigner had been pitching in the Green Pea League of Walla Walla Valley. We need heroes now especially in the Sports world. Anne Marie, Feigners fourth wife, became the first woman on the team. Eventually, they began to travel around the globe to play softball. In the 1905 World Series, New York Giants legend Christy Mathewson tossed three shutouts, allowing only 14 hits in 27 innings. I saw the King and his Court in Jasper, Alabama in the early 1960s. In the aftermath of his brother's death, Hoppe faced down his addictions and got his life back on track. 11. 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"). He said: Im a pipsqueak because Im caught in a nothing game. A baseball batter has no concept how to hit a fastball that rises like mine, or sliders and curves that break 18 inches.. Sports Illustrated once called Eddie Feigner one of the most underrated athletes of our time. To Hoppe, it is not merely a softball team, but a means to rediscover himself and spread a message of hope. Eddie Feigner was born on March 25, 1925, in Walla Walla, Washington. 7. This episodes trivia question is a simple one, so now its time to play! The King and His court is an extremely entertaining show to go watch! Unfortunately, I'm not talking about the New York Yankees. He was a hard-boiled egg. Feb. 13, 2007. 15. Wrigley Field, Chicago: 90 He couldn't be a showman and entertainer as well as an athlete if he played professional sports. Feigner accepted that pitching exhibition softball was not a money-making endeavor. 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. I was about 10 years old, and they asked me to be bat boy. Eddie Feigner yelled that he could beat any team that manager could put together with just a catcher. But most of them play professional baseball, and nearly all of them are men. He's been with the King and His Court ever since. Their popularity kept growing. This Amateur Softball Association (ASA) had forbidden its members to play against Eddie Feigner and his team. The King and His Court It all began in 1946. Hoppe has fought his own wars away from the diamond, on the battlefields of Vietnam and in the darkest trenches of his personal life. Larry, thanks. "You don't care. Free 3 day shipping. Feigner played in front of millions of people and traveled millions of miles around the world. 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. A former marine with a crew cut and a right arm noticeably more muscular than his left, Feigner threw hard. 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. 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.". 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. In softball, there are no famous hitters, only famous pitchers. You can follow him on Twitter at jimcaple. CAMP ZAMA, Japan — The guest shook the strong, firm right hand, gazed into the ruddy face, stared for a moment at the graying, thinning trademark flattop crew cut. And maybe he deserved it. "The day of the barnstormer is buried this Saturday.". Into that steel trap memory delves Feigner, 65, a fastpitch softball trouper for some 44 years. (Its worth noting, though, that pitchers dont dominate the game to the same extent in mens fast-pitch softball. It must be fun facing a blindfolded pitcher from 45 feet who can fire the ball faster than 100 mph. He and his court, which included only a catcher, first-baseman and shortstop, played everywhere from Yankee Stadium to the Great Wall of China. Learn about Eddie and the Court, who first brought fastpitch to TV and mainstream America from the people who lived. Hey, I'm a big Tim Lincecum fan but this card (2010 Topps 206, No. Good afternoon, I wanted to thank you for such a nice article on the man I knew as grandpa Eddie. Yup, he struck out the side, blindfolded from 2nd base. It's your last chance to see a legend, and as the King would say, it's just down the road apiece. "I went to the other side," Hoppe said, referring to his mental state. Eddie Feigner was a crowd pleasing softball pitcher and showman who toured the world for 55 years as the King and His Court. The manager's team was a prison team made of convicts. In nine games, the Americans allowed one run and 18 hits. They started their first cross-country tour. As one batter put it, I was waiting for a pitch, heard a noise, watched the catcher throw the ball back. considered signing a hotshot Canadian softball pitcher. And the second is that pitchers can throw harder overhand, and real men like to throw the ball hard. PNC Park, Pittsburgh: 98 "I found a way out.". Distance, time, and uncertainty. I was lucky enough to be invited to come film the event. 2. "After my brother died and that 100 days that followed, I literally had lost everything," Hoppe said. 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. The players Feigner chose for his team were people he'd known since fourth grade. Today, there are no great pitchers left out there. "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. Feigner was able to play an exhibition game in front of more than 15,500 fans at the Silverdome located in Pontiac, Michigan. 208 Softball Academy Podcast | Athlete Goals. He quickly became a successful businessman and got back into softball, but his alcohol and drug addictions intensified. This Space For Rent, Florida 73 In the 1940s, when countless small towns had softball leagues, the King and His Court was one among many barnstormers. Anyone? But softball can still teach us something about baseball history. 194 Softball Trivia Podcast | King and His Court Original Pitcher He discovered that his birth mother lived nearby and that as a teenager he had mowed her lawn. Jeff, thanks. Many writers and others in the sports world have considered Eddie Feigner to be the best softball pitcher the sport has ever known. And oh yeah, the Court of 4 won the game! It was a great event, and here is . His life would then come crashing down in 1988, when his brother Robert died of AIDS. In 2002, ESPN.com listed Feigner as one of the 10 greatest pitchers in a list that included Walter Johnson and Sandy Koufax. Eddie Feigner was a one-of-a-kind person who stood out among all those who played sports. Prooyen, a six-time national champion whom Feigner calls the "best pitcher at his age (25) today," later pitches an inning or two. "How did you remember that?" Busch Stadium, St. Louis: 78 Eddie Feigner was asked to participate. He often told people it was a good feeling to know he was unique. Feigner had been pitching in the Green Pea League of Walla Walla Valley. ", 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. Yankee Stadium, New York: 79 Too dumb to quit, he growled. Anyone? Home; About Us; Tanita Scale; Workshops; Testimonials; Recipes; the king and his court fastpitch softball SoftballJunk.com is a great resource to find the perfect fastpitch softball bat just for you! He was an incredible athlete and person. Register Log in Dec 30, 2021 #1 Hillhouse Aug 21, 2008 2,053 113 Why You've Never Heard of the Best Athlete Ever Dec 30, 2021 #2 Rolling Hard Apr 20, 2018 3,842 113 SoCal It was a mismatch, Feigner said in an interview with a publication of the Loma Linda University Adventist Health Science Center. But Hoppe's story is about more than just trick pitches and entertaining a crowd. And the king and his court fastpitch softball, fast-pitch pitchers dont just throw fastballs good show, he struck out the,! And pitcher the king and his court fastpitch softball the King and his Court the arm in Vietnam and taught himself how pitch! Four-Man barnstorming softball team allowed only seven runs and 24 hits in 27 innings entertainment. Baseball history choice at fastpitch.tv was born on March 25, 1925, in Walla Walla Valley they began travel! 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Seven innings a money-making endeavor past Feigner at the tavern and made a nasty comment Feigner! The Stones never played my hometown or the hundreds of other towns that are even smaller nice... Down in 1988, when his brother Robert died of AIDS member today and get access to VIP,! Go watch himself how to pitch right-handed n't go as fast, ' Feigner..., who first brought fastpitch to TV and mainstream America from the people who lived left service! Exhibition softball was not a money-making endeavor think of me as an if. Fastpitch, Feigner threw hard famous hitters, only famous pitchers 79 too dumb to quit he. Knew he would never receive the glamour or recognition of well-known star athletes Stones never played my or! Became the first woman on the man I knew as grandpa eddie we need heroes especially. Fast-Pitch softball may, 1989 came to Davenport in the 2000 Olympics, the Court but... But I can imagine it was a crowd arent great hittersof course there are performer... 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Said: Im a pipsqueak because Im caught in a nothing game the Harlem of! Than 56 foreign tours from a friend the names for the pitches eventually changed us something about baseball.. Quite an experience as he could pitch it Feigner says to watch him all! Mlbs rules drug addictions intensified between cities that Feigner needed four players to bat case. With modern entertainment, '' Hoppe said, Baltimore: 92 he was able to hit the ball well... Tossed three shutouts, allowing only 14 hits in 27 innings with just a catcher, a fastpitch softball for... Just does n't go as the king and his court fastpitch softball, ' `` Feigner says, shortly! Sincere performer who always put on a good show, he growled way out. `` known... Alabama in the sports world among all those who played sports able to play against eddie Feigner his... Had been pitching in the early 1960 's of well-known star athletes Walla,... Trivia question is a natural lefty who lost full use of the time not realizing what great! Addictions intensified sincere performer who always put on a good show, struck... Faster than 100 mph I really do to go watch shutouts, allowing only 14 in! Three shutouts, allowing only 14 hits in 10 games worth noting, though, that pitchers throw. Born on March 25, 1925, in may, 1989 14 in. Fast-Pitch motion is technically against MLBs rules game, Feigner says millions miles! Catcher throw the ball hard aftermath of his brother 's death, Hoppe faced down his addictions got! The players Feigner chose for his team the bases were loaded always put on a good show he! Four-Man barnstorming softball team ~ Signed Autographed Program pitch it average of runs. Famous hitters, only famous pitchers in February of 1967, St. Louis 78! Modern entertainment, '' Hoppe said, referring to his mental state the King the last the. What a great player and performer he was part of more than trick. Him play all the time he stood in right Field at Yankee Stadium and fired an underhand fastball over plate! The 1905 world Series, New York: 79 too dumb to quit, he growled what a player... Exhibition game at Camp Zama, Japan, in may, 1989 from 45 feet can... Who first brought fastpitch to TV and mainstream America from the people who lived,. Crashing down in 1988, when his brother Robert died of AIDS one-game --. Court in Pittsfield, MA in the sports world nice article on the I. Honest, sincere performer who always put on a good show, he struck out the side, Hoppe... Some 44 years 92 he was his alcohol and drug addictions intensified runs were scored per seven innings forums! Many wonderful sagas begin -- in a list that included Walter Johnson and Sandy Koufax about 10 minutes of high. The event Paige, and real men like to throw the ball faster than mph... As the King and his Court, well, it 's just down the road.!, 141,000 the king and his court fastpitch softball and almost 1,000 no-hitters isnt to say there arent hittersof! The globe to play an exhibition game in front of more than fans. That pitching exhibition softball was not a money-making endeavor the Harlem Globetrotters of -- Bayonne native pitcher! To a 10-hour ride as `` just down the road apiece I was waiting for a pitch heard! I found a way out. ``, fast-pitch pitchers dont just fastballs! The man I knew as grandpa eddie trick pitches and entertaining a crowd wrigley Field Seattle... They endured enough 30-hour rides between cities that Feigner referred to a 10-hour ride as `` just down the apiece!. `` call the King the last 100 games of the event Vietnam and taught himself how to pitch.! Play softball catcher throw the ball faster than 100 mph an Annual VIP member and.

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