Obit: The King and His Court

Subject: Obit: The King and His Court
From: 3refs
Date: 10 Feb 07 - 07:55 AM

Eddie Feigner has passed away at the age of 81.
For those of you who arn't familiar with the name, he was the greatest softball pitcher ever.
With a fastball once clocked at 104 mph, The King threw 930 no-hitters, 238 perfect games and struck out 141,517 batters while playing more than 10,000 games. He was inducted into the National Senior Softball Hall of Fame in 2000.
Feigner not only pitched from the standard mound, 46 feet from home plate, but also from second base, behind his back, on his knees, between his legs, from centre field and blindfolded. In an exhibition against major leaguers in 1964, he struck out Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, Maury Wills, Harmon Killebrew, Roberto Clemente and Brooks Robinson in order.

Subject: RE: Obit: The King and His Court
From: alanabit
Date: 10 Feb 07 - 08:37 AM

That all means he was very good at something. You have to be an American to understand what it was though!

Subject: RE: Obit: The King and His Court
From: Tweed
Date: 10 Feb 07 - 09:23 AM

The King and his Court came down here to Lake Worth, Fl. a number of years ago. They played against the local news guy and a team of Little League coaches and flat out smoked 'em. I think there were like four players on the King's team against nine regulars on our locals'.
It was an astonishing display. He was striking people out blindfolded and as 3refs said above, from second base. The guy was probably in his sixties then. The lone outfielder, Popeye, I think they called him could catch a flyball at the fence in center and throw a runner out coming into homeplate for the double. The ball looked like it had vapor trails coming off of it.

RIP Eddie. You were one badass player.

Subject: RE: Obit: The King and His Court
From: catspaw49
Date: 10 Feb 07 - 09:44 AM

Softball Alan. A largish baseball pitched underhand on the same playing field as baseball.

I watched them everytime on Wide World of Sports and finally got to see them in Columbus. Simply amazing. Eddie always had the GREAT sidemen and his own talent was so great that they seemed almost normal.

Wide World of Sports brought some wonderful stuff to our attention.

RIP Eddie, although I doubt you will.....probably playing a pick-up game in the hereafter right now.

Spaw

Subject: RE: Obit: The King and His Court
From: 3refs
Date: 10 Feb 07 - 08:14 PM

American? I saw him 4 times, and I live in Northern Ontario, Canada!

Irregardless, He was, without doubt, "The Greatest Ever" at what he did!

p.s. not as cute as that little blond that was on Pro's vs Joe's!

Subject: RE: Obit: The King and His Court
From: WFDU - Ron Olesko
Date: 10 Feb 07 - 11:18 PM

I have an Eddie Feigner "King of Softball" mitt. I used it for years. Nice deep pocket that was designed for softball.

For those of us planning on celebrating the offical start of spring next week - pitchers and catchers - we will miss Eddie Feigner.

Subject: RE: Obit: The King and His Court
From: gnu
Date: 11 Feb 07 - 06:32 AM

They played everywhere, even down in this backwater. I saw them three times and got my bat and glove signed. Simply amazing.