One day Feigner never could recall the date his team obliterated a club from Pendleton, OR., 33-0, after which players from both squads repaired to a watering hole, where the Pendleton manager, seething at the days humiliation, tossed a snide remark in Feigners direction. The information on this website is taken from records made available by state and local law enforcement departments, courts, city and town halls, and other public and private sources. We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here. He also pitched for the Glendale White Center Athletic Club and won a state championship. Usually they played against local teams that were simply overmatched. The game drew 8,000 fans, who watched Pay n Pak tag Feigner with one of his rare defeats, 7-0. Thanks for your help! It featured the best of baseball against the likes of Woody Allen, Bobby Darin, James Garner, Peter Falk, Robert Loggia, etc. He sat on the bench for two years before he learned to throw a strike. This is a story on sports legend Eddie Feigner\" a.k.a. I would have gone back to see Mrs. King more. Jarfly went on to play in Shelby, North Carolina, where he won 76 games in five years, pitching against the best teams in five states. : 86 Still, Feigner pleased fans and baffled batters everywhere. According to legend, Feigner was bragging up his skills one night when an opposing player challenged his abilities. Holly was his third baseman and was as quick as a cat. Nevertheless, he persevered through the years, driving from one small town to the next, leaving a trail of pleased fans and baffled hitters behind. 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), Local brewery invites your taste buds in for a try. Eddie was the \"King\" of softball back in the day and his court was made up of just three other players on the field.I saw this team playing when I was 16 and they are old school fast pitch softball. Who else pitches from behind his back or between his legs? Insulted, Feigner bet the guy he could beat his team with just four players -- himself, a catcher, a first baseman and an infielder. He hooked up with a young boy named Meade Kinzer, and they became so good at pitch and catch that they were eventually invited to participate in organized games. For decades, he has helped many a girl learn the art of fast pitch softball, whether they attend Unaka, Happy Valley, Elizabethton, Hampton or wherever. He and "his court", which included only a catcher, first-baseman. I Can See The Steam Spouting From the Steinbrenners' Ears From Here: You want a meaningful race between the Yankees and Red Sox? AP Photo Eddie Feigner formed the King and His Court more than 14,000 games and 4 million miles ago in his hometown of Walla Walla, Wash. Over the years, the Court played everywhere, with. The cast and their families moved to the area a month before the start of production, to connect with the local people and learn farming skills. As for the others, yes, they all struck out against Feigner in the exhibition, which was staged for TV at Dodger Stadium in the offseason. Story Links TEMPE - Justin Robinson is officially the king of the 400m! Remove advertising from a memorial by sponsoring it for just $5. He previously worked for publications in Washington, New York, North Carolina and Florida. Instead of throwing to his catcher, Feigner slammed the ball into his own mitt, creating a loud smack. 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. In 1950, he dubbed his traveling team The King and His Court, and they became the Harlem Globetrotters of softball, complete with gaudy red-white-and-blue uniforms. For six decades, Eddie Feigner and his three softball teammates toured the nation, then the world, as The King and His Court. Hes even helped some Unaka Elementary girls prepare for softball at the high school level. Close this window, and upload the photo(s) again. Meanwhile, as ESPN colleague Doug Kern points out, the last four Rays home games drew just 61,897. He has a degree in political science from the University of Massachusetts. His fastball was officially timed at 104 mph and unofficially at 114. He came up with the name Eddie from a friend. And that feeling has never left. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Eddie Feigner (18089855)? He made millions, and was generous to a fault.. This is a story on sports legend Eddie Feigner" a.k.a. 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. Being Myrle King was a disgraceful, sleazy existence, and I wanted it over. He was just phenomenal. Not enough people died, I guess. Jarfly could throw a fastball, a riser, a super drop pitch, a curveball and the best change up you would ever see. Then Megan Heaton was there all the time. We figured that would never happen again, so we took it out of the show. Season Record. He was 56 at the time.He was thrown out of school in his teens and joined the Marine Corps during World War II but was discharged after a nervous breakdown. 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. Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. Sound amplifiers are provided to those who have hearing difficulties. The King and His Court barnstormed for 55 years, Feigner ultimately achieving fame as the greatest softball pitcher who ever lived. Nice guys, huh? The Marines finally threw him in the X Ward. Mryle King called it the rubber room., The X Ward was a place for wackos, and I belonged, the future softball whiz told Sports Illustrated. He pitched a perfect game, striking out 19 of 21 batters.In 1950, he dubbed his traveling team The King and His Court, and they became the Harlem Globetrotters of softball, complete with gaudy red-white-and-blue uniforms. "The day of the barnstormer is buried this Saturday.". 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. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles: 88 A day later, he had a stroke and would never pitch again. Clad in red, white and blue uniforms, the team consisted of a catcher, a first baseman, a shortstop and one nonpareil pitcher, Feigner. We like it very much, and if youd like to become a subscriber you can do soby signing up here. They wore patriotic-looking uniforms and blended vaudeville bits into their ballgames. I had a lot of fun with her, Jarfly said. Feigner added two more players: enough that even with the bases loaded, his team would always have somebody available to bat. "During the 1981 Major League Baseball strike, before 16,000 fans at the Silverdome in Pontiac Michigan, he and his Court beat a nine-man team that included several major league players. Far as we can tell, the grudge rematch never happened. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. 7. Check Koufax. Unfortunately, I'm not talking about the New York Yankees. pic.twitter.com/CXJdmIdKgw. Which is why the King always had four players. Undeterred, Feigner and the Court struck out for the South in a pair of station wagons, receiving a nasty surprise when they arrived in El Paso, TX. 1987 was a special year for softball players and fans in Stevens Point. The games werent fixed, but Feigner and his squad nearly always won. Tropicana Field, Tampa Bay: 68. 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. Learn more about merges. ", "I'm a pipsqueak because I'm caught in a nothing game," Mr. Feigner said in 1972. Feigner suffered a stroke in 2000, the year he was inducted into the National Senior Softball Hall of Fame and one day after he threw out the first pitch before the womens softball competition at the Sydney Olympics. Feigner and the Court arranged for a June 14, 1973 rematch with Pay n Pak at White Center Stadium. "It's surreal. Verify and try again. He pitched on military bases and rifle ranges, in rodeo arenas, on cow pastures and parking lots. Sun Devil Hall of Fame & Hall of Distinction, Sun Devils Qualify 3 Events for NCAA Indoor Championships, Jackie Johnson Enters Pac-12 Hall of Honor, Track and Field Ready for Final Indoor Meet, 5 Sun Devils Competing in USATF Indoor Championships, Track & Field Records Fall in Fayetteville. Ultimately, Feigner and the Court played in front of more than 11 million people. He kept meticulous records of his achievements: 9,743 victories, 141, 517 strikeouts, 930 no-hitters and 238 perfect games. Feigner loved to tell stories about how many times umpires called his phantom pitches for strikes rather than admit they didnt see them. Of course, the Stones never played my hometown or the hundreds of other towns that are even smaller. One batter who faced Feigner described the experience to The Orlando Sentinel: I was waiting for a pitch, heard a noise, watched the catcher throw the ball back. Corey Schuettler is at Cloudland, now back teaching what she learned in softball. This is Defector, a new sports blog and media company. He pitched a perfect game, striking out 19 of 21 batters. After practicing against inmates at the Washington State Penitentiary, he and his four-man team had their rematch. cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Make sure that the file is a photo. It was as Myrle Vernon King that he grew up playing sports, and as Myrle Vernon King that he served in the US Marine Corps. That was the beauty of the team. By clicking I Agree, you acknowledge and agree to our Terms of Service, and agree not to use any information gathered through this website for any purpose under the FCRA, including but not limited to evaluating eligibility for personal credit, insurance, employment, or tenancy. Tom FitzGerald has been the Stanford beat writer for The San Francisco Chronicle since 2009. 15. After that, they got the idea that this could be bigger than a single game. An email has been sent to the person who requested the photo informing them that you have fulfilled their request, There is an open photo request for this memorial. Ill need four guys on my side to bat, Feigner said, and youll be sorry. Not long after Eddie Feigner experienced an emotional reunion with a mother who abandoned him at birth, he began pitching recreational softball in Walla Walla, WA. Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, Mo. That gave him season marks of .301, 34 home runs, 101 RBIs, a 1.023 OPS and a 1-0 record. Eddie Feigner, a crowd-pleasing softball pitcher and showman who toured the world for 55 years as The King and His Court, died Feb. 9 from complications of dementia at Cogburn Health and. There was a problem getting your location. ). Reports of Feigner's death, in Huntsville, Ala., on Feb. 9, mentioned that during a 1967 exhibition, he struck out Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, Brooks Robinson, Maury Wills, Harmon Killebrew and Roberto Clemente in succession. 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