the king and his court fastpitch softballthe king and his court fastpitch softball

Feigner had been pitching in the Green Pea League of Walla Walla Valley. I never saw him and his court, but I can imagine it was quite an experience. from It's your last chance to see a legend, and as the King would say, it's just down the road apiece. Eddie Feigner passed away on February 9, 2007, from complications associated with dementia. 2023 Stars and Stripes. I was about 10 years old, and they asked me to be bat boy. 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. Today, there are no great pitchers left out there. 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. 21. 255) may be the equivalent of the high school annual photo. In international competition, the pitchers plate (or rubber, as baseball fans know it) is only 43 feet from home plate. To Hoppe, it is not merely a softball team, but a means to rediscover himself and spread a message of hope. "Rage and obsession can make you do amazing things," he explained. I wonder if he wanted to be a MLB player if he would have done so well. Eddie Feigner was a one-of-a-kind person who stood out among all those who played sports. It must be fun facing a blindfolded pitcher from 45 feet who can fire the ball faster than 100 mph. Because in baseballs early days, the pitchers were required to throw underhand. Basketball has the Harlem Globetrotters. 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. "Hollywood missed a hell of a story. During one game, Feigner had easily beaten a team from Oregon 33-0. Then those two teams will really have something to play for. A story is told of the time he stood in right field at Yankee Stadium and fired an underhand fastball over home plate. A world traveler is he. The fastest documented pitch ever thrown by a major league pitcher is 103 mph. How did he do it? I give this one a difficulty rating of 6.0. 7. Jim Caple is a senior writer for ESPN.com. 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 knew he would never receive the glamour or recognition of well-known star athletes. They escaped flash floods and tornadoes. Since Jennie Finch took over as a co-host of This Week in Baseball, she has consistently struck out current major leaguers whove dared to take the Jennie Challenge. 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 McCovey, Brooks Robinson, Willie Mays, Harmon Killebrew, and Roberto Clemente. He was able to throw pitches that only he had mastered. This place hasn't exactly been as enticing as Margatitaville but it isn't that terrible either, especially as multi-purpose stadiums go. If you swing at the ball, youll strike out every time.. 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"). PNC Park, Pittsburgh: 98 or Best Offer. It was incredible. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Eddie Feigner, Hard-Throwing, Barnstorming Showman of Softball, Dies at 81, https://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/13/sports/othersports/13feigner.html. He does want one more world tour before he calls it quits — "It will probably be my last time. Individuals inducted into the Shrine of the Eternals must have altered how the world views the game of baseball. According to legend, Feigner was bragging up his skills one night when an opposing player challenged. Feigner agreed, and the only stipulation was that Feigner needed four players to bat in case the bases were loaded. The players Feigner chose for his team were people he'd known since fourth grade. 2023 Vimeo.com, Inc. All rights reserved. He threw an in-raise as well as an in-drop pitches others couldn't figure out how to throw. "I went to the other side," Hoppe said, referring to his mental state. ", 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. He hopes to inspire all of those who have battled addiction and felt trapped within their own lives. : 86 He was part of more than 56 foreign tours. Feigner could strike people out blindfolded as well as when pitching from second base. For softball training videos, training aids, softball equipment, or softball bats visit softballjunk.com/. ", "If you did one tour with the Court, you've been tested. So, thank you for showing others what a great athlet he was. HubPages is a registered trademark of The Arena Platform, Inc. Other product and company names shown may be trademarks of their respective owners. "We can't compete with modern entertainment," Hoppe said. The King and His Court got its start the way so many wonderful sagas begin -- in a bar. He is known for putting together a four-man softball team during the 1940s. Jan 24, 2012 - Produced by http://Fastpitch.TV - A few weeks ago the King And His Court came to the Dallas area. Feigner had an exaggerated windup and he would do things like pitch blindfolded, or pitch an inning from behind second base. Comerica Park, Detroit: 87 This week I show you about 10 minutes of the event. He was able to hit the ball as well as he could pitch it. "I'll see a batter come up and, remember something about his stance or something and say, `El Paso, '74, right?' 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 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. 14. In the days of xBox and 15-screen Cineplexes, it was something to see ballparks packed with five generations, with great-grandfathers and fathers holding little babies. Into that steel trap memory delves Feigner, 65, a fastpitch softball trouper for some 44 years. He and his court, which included only a catcher, first-baseman and shortstop, played everywhere from Yankee Stadium to the Great Wall of China. 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. Upon returning home after two years at war, Hoppe opened a bar in Bayonne and began attending night school. "I wanted to recognize in his birthplace that something so special happened. information. Five of the six were later elected to Cooperstown. "I'm still the best pitcher in the world today, baseball or softball; I just don't have the blinding speed any more. 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! 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. 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. Eddie Feigner in 1983. They were called The King and His Court.. As the games rules were liberalized, the names for the pitches eventually changed. Either that, or an outtake from "Twilight 4: Team Timmy No-Hits Team Edward.'' The four players of the King and His Court easily beat the nine-player prison team 7-0. Eddie Feigner pitched a perfect game. 23K 2.9K comments His team, clad in red, white and blue uniforms modeled after those of the Globetrotters, played in ever-smaller parks. We need heroes now especially in the Sports world. Marco Polo would have been jealous. VHS Tape, "How to Pitch Fast Pitch Softball Basic Styles With Eddie Feigner of The King and His Court" [autographed]. By the 1960s, Feigner was top dog and made $100,000 a month at a time when baseball stars headed for the Hall of Fame made $100,000 a year. Nobody could even touch the ball. Too dumb to quit, he growled. After last Thursday's game in Linden, Hoppe, who has been clean and sober for two decades, briefly shared his story with the crowd. Sadly, I'm talking about the King and His Court, the barnstorming softball team started by the late Eddie Feigner some 65 years ago. My dad took me to that game at what is now Modern Woodman Park on river front. Enthralled by what he saw, Hoppe hooked up with Feigner's crew for Midwest tours the following two summers. included in the interview is Leslie Barber, Charlie Dobbins, Dave Booth, Bob Hale, Ron Davenport and Michael Branchaud. 1951 The King and His Court Softball Program. He was 81 years old. Sign up to receive a daily email of today's top military news stories from Stars and Stripes and top news outlets One has to remember that it's only about 46 feet from mound to plate in fast-pitch softball, so a batter has less time to make contact than a MLB player does at 60 feet. Call Us: (860) 961-3482 . Prooyen, a six-time national champion whom Feigner calls the "best pitcher at his age (25) today," later pitches an inning or two. "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. HE AND his four-player team have donned their blue and red star-spangled uniforms 225 times a year for more than 18 million fans, traveling almost 4 million miles to 86 countries, 55 in which they've played actual games and the other 31 in which they've demonstrated fastpitch skill, specifically Feigner's mystical mound mastery. (Theyre currently on a 79-game winning streak.) <p> </p> <p>A few weeks ago the King And His Court came to the Dallas Area. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. They wore patriotic-looking uniforms and blended vaudeville bits into their ballgames. The King and His Court" and his visit to. This is an organization dedicated to promoting baseball as a way to appreciate American culture and art. HE HAS carried over the years more than 30 players at one time or another in his troupe, including three former major leaguers. He's been interviewed by Red Smith, Mike Douglas, Johnny Carson, Ed Sullivan and the guy Feigner says gave him his first significant interview, Grantland Rice. Skip to main content. 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. Coors Field, Denver: 87 Now they're all in their 40s. "Haven't seen you in 15 years, Eddie. And there were not enough bare-chested women, though there were a few of those, too. "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. Feigner was born in Walla Walla, Wash., on March 26, 1925. In the 2000 Olympics, the gold-medal-winning U.S. softball team allowed only seven runs and 24 hits in 10 games. "And nobody in their right mind would put slowpitch in the Olympics.". I'm still the biggest thing in softball.". Many of them were major league players. In 2000, the same magazine ranked the King and His Court as the United States eighth-greatest team of the 20th century. ", 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. Why? 1983 The King and His Court ~ 4-Man Softball Team ~ Signed Autographed Program. 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 . Wrigley Field, Chicago: 90 He discovered that his birth mother lived nearby and that as a teenager he had mowed her lawn. He was a hard-boiled egg. Not enough people died, I guess. There are, of course, many hundreds of human beings who can hit a low-90s fastball. In an interview, he said he liked having fun too much to be an MLB player. You get a fragment from an old box score and the challenge of determining what game it is from and why it is significant. After the game was over, many of the players gathered at a tavern. All rights reserved. He took her last name and the name Eddie from a friend. A couple of years ago, the Kansas City Royals considered signing a hotshot Canadian softball pitcher before realizing that his style was illegal. All contents 2023 The Slate Group LLC. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. As the team ate and slept in their station wagon, they discovered something in El Paso, TX. The manager walked past Feigner at the tavern and made a nasty comment about Feigner's pitching ability. Distance, time, and uncertainty. I was lucky enough to be invited to come film the event. Eddie Feigner was able to get games when he showed local softball promoters his abilities. In 1950, the team members, as well as Feigner, were unemployed. He was like a drill sergeant who drills you every day and you never do anything right.". I was lucky enough to be invited to come film the . Yankee Stadium, New York: 79 The King and His court is an extremely entertaining show to go watch! "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. He kept meticulous records of his achievements: 9,743 victories, 141, 517 strikeouts, 930 no-hitters and 238 perfect games. Larry, thanks. They played in prisons where the inmates bet cigarettes on the outcome. He is Rich Hoppe -- Bayonne native and pitcher for the King and His Court, the iconic four-man barnstorming softball team. He's been with the King and His Court ever since. You'll need it. Though it would be nice if Florida ownership could have found the money to keep the out of town scoreboard. Feigner played in front of millions of people and traveled millions of miles around the world. 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. It's always been my Yankee Stadium. 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. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. The King and his Court. 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's toed the same athletic fields as the legendary Jim Thorpe, traipsed through Tibet and rubbed elbows with the Dalai Lama. The rottenest thing to happen to softball was moving back the mound from 43 to 46 feet" in 1949, Feigner said, adding it was done because a few pitchers tended to dominate batters from the closer distance. Eventually, they began to travel around the globe to play softball. 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. Your email address will not be published. Thus, is Feigner, with a year or two left in his own career, the last of the great fastpitch showmen? But its usually not just Team USAs opponents who struggle to score. 15. But the 65-year tour of duty ends Saturday night in Feigner's hometown of Walla Walla, Wash., playing a team that includes former major leaguer Jeff Cirillo, a two-time All-Star and five-time .300 hitter. With all that said, Feigner was amazing. . Hearing a woman or child say they loved watching him pitch meant more to Feigner than any big-league contract. 12, Minute Maid Park, Houston: 80 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. Cleveland's Chris Perez hit two batters, walked another and allowed an unearned run Monday (1 IP 0 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, 2 HBP) while Atlanta Jair Jurrjens pitched 6 1/3 scoreless innings despite allowing 13 baserunners (6 1/3 IP, 8 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 5 BB, 1 K). Hoppe and his crew only use a pitcher, a catcher, a first baseman and a shortstop, while the opposition uses nine players. Feb. 13, 2007. Hell, if you live anywhere, get to Walla Walla. 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. "FASTPITCH IS a lost art — irretrievable in our generation. 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. 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. You get to touch people and leave them with a message.". 10. This Space For Rent Stadium, Florida. Later that night, Hoppe saw two children blown up right in front of him during a Viet Cong raid. 5. He was more than a player; he was a showman. Fastpitch.TV - A few weeks ago the King And His Court came to the Dallas area. Nationals Park, Washington: 76 We're going to go up to the birthplace and bring it on home.". One of these years, it will be," he said. He just made me better," Hoppe said. Hey, I'm a big Tim Lincecum fan but this card (2010 Topps 206, No. All their efforts only got them a few replies. Feigner, catcher Gary West, first baseman Dave Booth and shortstop Gary Van Prooyen mug it up with true zest. Chase Field, Phoenix: 76.5 His life would then come crashing down in 1988, when his brother Robert died of AIDS. 20. Sie knnen Ihre Einstellungen jederzeit ndern. Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum: 74 But softball can still teach us something about baseball history. They endured enough 30-hour rides between cities that Feigner referred to a 10-hour ride as "just down the road apiece. 4. 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. 11. 15. 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. "After my brother died and that 100 days that followed, I literally had lost everything," Hoppe said. They had 4 players and would play teams of 9 guys. They were awesome. SoftballJunk.com is a great resource to find the perfect fastpitch softball bat just for you!. 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. What amazed most fans that day was how he was able to strike out all of them in a row. 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. The friends got together and decided it was time to take their game on the road. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). The terminology used to describe pitches in fast-pitch softballrise ball, drop curve, in-shootis essentially the same as that used by baseball pitchers a century ago. "The King changed my life, and he was the toughest guy I've ever been around. "I know what I am, a recovering addict," he said. The King and His Court remain the Harlem Globetrotters of fastpitch. Its just that the conditions of the game simply dont allow even the greatest hitters to be successful often enough for anybody to notice. Before the tour, Eddie Feigner and the other team members mailed thousands of letters to charity groups, service organizations, local governments, and more. Anyone? 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. Feigner played in over 5,000 games and struck out over 15,000 people when he was blindfolded. Home; About Us; Tanita Scale; Workshops; Testimonials; Recipes; the king and his court fastpitch softball
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