The year: 1946. At the time of Feigners death Feb. 9, 2007 the fastest documented pitch thrown by a major leaguer was 104.8 mph (Joel Zumaya of the Detroit Tigers in a playoff game Oct. 10, 2006). the State relied on TVI's charitable solicitations to prove each of its claims at the trial court. When Jarfly pitched, Wes would play third base and would only be about 15 feet from home plate. In 1946, after beating an Oregon team 33-0, he responded to a taunt by saying, "I would play you with only my catcher. Feigner pitched hundreds of games each year against local all-star teams. According to court records, Montrice Hughes withdrew his not-guilty plea and pleaded guilty to domestic . 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. Jim Caple is a senior writer for ESPN.com. Jarfly could throw a fastball, a riser, a super drop pitch, a curveball and the best change up you would ever see. But Im not singing the blues. At his peak in the 1960s, he made $100,000 a month. He couldn't remember if Feigner used another standard part of his routine, pitching while blindfolded, as he did when he knocked a cigar from Johnny Carson's mouth on TV. While that was Jarflys softball career, he also shined at his job at United Telephone. No town was too small for them, no fans too unimportant. He struck out Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, Brooks Robinson, Harmon Killebrew and Roberto Clemente consecutively. He lives in Benicia. He could comfortably fire unhittable strikes around his back or through his legs. It just pleases me to look out there and see these girls play and in all the years Ive only had one thats gone, Jessica Robinson. He was a former Marine, and everything was by the numbers. 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. People have swung three times trying to hit that slow change up pitch. Four years later, at the Olympics in Sydney, Feigner threw out the honorary first pitch before the first game of the womens softball tournament. He is also a former editor at VICE. Not bad for a fat man. Known all over the world, Jarfly still lives in Eastside; he still attends Eastside Baptist and this makes his 72nd year in attendance there. ", "If you did one tour with the Court, you've been tested. To use this feature, use a newer browser. His underhand fastball was once timed at 104 mph -- or, according to some accounts, 114 mph. Expelled from high school for troublemaking, he joined the Marines during World War II. He threw behind his back, through his legs.". The email does not appear to be a valid email address. None of that made Mryle King happy so, in 1942, he enlisted in the Marines. Ken laid down a bunt against Jarflys team in a game that broke up a no-hitter. Only 63 stolen bnses age.inst him ln ten years. If I earn just one star Ill be a happy man., Many of the historic images published on Sportspress Northwest are provided by resident Northwest sports history aficionado David Eskenazi. His son, Eddie Jr., played alongside him for 25 years. You further agree not to use the information provided for any unlawful purposes and you understand that we cannot confirm that information provided below is accurate or complete. You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. You'll need it. 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 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. This browser does not support getting your location. 11. Are you sure that you want to report this flower to administrators as offensive or abusive? Please try again later. Yes, he faced the Cubs. Jarfly would become a renowned pitcher and travel the world playing softball. He used a curveball that dipped 18 inches. Who else pitches from second base? 10. He was my toughest coach, Dugger said, adding he inspired Dugger to pursue pitching. 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. "It's surreal. Since the standard softball mound is only 46 feet from home plate, he would often give his opponents a chance by pitching from second base or, on occasion, from center field.He appeared on television and once knocked a cigar out of Johnny Carson's mouth with a pitch while wearing a blindfold. The River was filmed in the Holston Valley area of Church Hill, Tennessee. The trial court granted the unopposed motion in limine. Goshen Valley Road heads south from Highway 11W in Church Hill, Tennessee. We figured that would never happen again, so we took it out of the show. But thats not necessarily a bad thing. Parking garage is located across the street. The King, 74, spends most of the game on a chair giving commentary and funny remarks regarding the game. Every person on the creek that had a landline phone had Jarflys name written in the back of the phone book with his personal phone number. Not enough people died, I guess. But the week's most interesting line was by Philadelphia's Roy Oswalt, who officially started games on consecutive days and didn't allow a run in either. The following day, Feigner suffered a stroke that would end his playing career. 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 Rehabilitation facility in Huntsville, Ala. Tom FitzGerald has been the Stanford beat writer for The San Francisco Chronicle since 2009. Over the years, the Court played everywhere, with Feigner firing his 100-plus mph heater (once measured at 112 mph) from behind his back, through his legs, from second base and even while blindfolded. The King and His Court barnstormed for 55 years, Feigner ultimately achieving fame as the greatest softball pitcher who ever lived. According to legend, Feigner was bragging up his skills one night when an opposing player challenged his abilities. In addition to throwing a fastball clocked at 104 mph and entertaining families around the world with his banter, he could make the ball spin and drop in a way that was, fittingly, cartoonish. The very week he met his mother, he changed his name to Eddie Feigner Eddie in honor of an orphan named Eddie Colts, who had been one of Eddies best friends until he died in a knife fight and Naomi Feigner. Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Eddie Feigner (18089855)? Feigner mailed 3,000 letters to a hodgepodge of service organizations, community groups and advertisers anybody who might want to sponsor a game. Softball king's passing stirs memories of '67 strike-out show, Eddie Feigner of The King and His Court hurles a pitch in the first inning of Tuesday's, Sept. 24, 1996, fund-raiser against the Lower Columbia College women's fastpitch softball team at LCC's David Story Field in Longview, Wash. Four men against nine. Ryann Musick was his first left-hander; Katie Robinson from Elizabethton, Sadie Shoun, and Trinity Bowers were super players; and Sallee Taylor was a good pitcher and a great athlete. At his peak in the 1960s, Mr. Feigner made $100,000 a month. We're going to go up to the birthplace and bring it on home.". Jarfly won with 624 votes, followed by The Midnight Rambler with 500 votes. 21. Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. The Fans came to see what Feigner could do. After that, they got the idea that this could be bigger than a single game. I was a pitiful, screwed-up person with no home, no father and no real mother I knew about. He also covers men's and women's basketball and many other Stanford sports. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. You further authorize CourtCaseFinder.com to conduct a person search to identify preliminary results of the search subject you entered. He came up with the name Eddie from a friend. There was an error deleting this problem. Sadly, I'm talking about the King and His Court, the . You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. "We had a Hall of Fame lineup (except for Wills)," said McCovey, now a senior adviser for the Giants, adding that Mickey Mantle was there too and also struck out. There is a problem with your email/password. He even pitched on the Great Wall of China. Anyone? Our Terms of Service prohibit the use of CourtCaseFinder.com to determine an individual's eligibility for personal credit or employment, tenant screening, or other business transactions, or for any unlawful purposes such as stalking or harassing others. In Japan, Jarfly played softball for the United States of America. 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 and achieved widespread fame similar to that of the Harlem Globetrotters. 3. After practicing against inmates at the Washington State Penitentiary, Mr. Feigner and his four-man team had their rematch. He suffered two nervous breakdowns, got married and divorced twice and tried several times to slash his wrists. He has written, illustrated, and self-published roughly one hundred zines. For reasons that require footnotes, which we eschew, Seventh Day Adventists didnt play baseball, so King took up softball as a grade schooler. The games werent fixed, but Feigner and his squad nearly always won. People in my own sport know who I am. Meanwhile, as ESPN colleague Doug Kern points out, the last four Rays home games drew just 61,897. This is a carousel with slides. 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. or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. They were barnstorming across America like the Harlem Globetrotters. 20. Ken was a very smart player. Arnold Palmer! Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. 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. 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. An excellent hitter as well, he once slugged 83 home runs in a 250-game exhibition season. Previously sponsored memorials or famous memorials will not have this option. He also covers motor sports in the Bay Area and wrote about the America's Cup regatta in San Francisco in 2013, during which Oracle Team USA made one of the greatest comebacks in sports history to beat Emirates Team New Zealand. An angry Feigner shot back, Youre so pitiful, I could lick you with my catcher.. According to The Washington Post, which published an extensive profile following his death, Feigner could strike out players while blindfolded (8,698 times) or while pitching behind his back or between his legs. Because why wouldnt they? When he died, barnstorming went with him. Being Myrle King was a disgraceful, sleazy existence, and I wanted it over. cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Underneath all the corruption and cynicism and spy satellites operated by Major League Baseball, there is our resilient capacity to be amazed and there is our enduring desire to be amazed together. Soon came challenges from practically every town and city in the state and, before long, The King (Feigner) and His Court were on their way. Top Employment Background Checks . "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. He started playing baseball and softball when he was a fourth grader and played baseball at Jordan and Long Beach City College before putting his emphasis on softball. "I've made more money at this than any other ballplayer at any other sport," he told The Washington Post in 1976. Information found on this website is strictly for informational purposes and does not entail legal or financial advice of any form. (And don't rule out the Rays grabbing this year's wild card spot yet.) As the town gathers around the burning satellite, they see the MLB logo on it and realize that, wow, Major League Baseball was spying on them for market research. I have to play with a four-man team. That would be nice. Program was taped in 2005.#EddieFeigner #KingandhisCourt #Softball #ProSoftballLearn more about him here- http://www.kingandhiscourt.com/ The game drew 8,000 fans, who watched Pay n Pak tag Feigner with one of his rare defeats, 7-0. He was 81. ,for Kilburgs Grocery of the Green Pea League. Feigner kept meticulous records, documenting 9,743 wins, 141,517 strikeouts, 930 no-hitters, 238 perfect games and 1,500-plus shutouts in more than 10,000 games staggering numbers that he achieved with 19 windups, 14 types of deliveries and five speeds. 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. 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. For six decades, Eddie Feigner and his three softball teammates toured the nation, then the world, as The King and His Court. Which brings up an interesting question: When was the last time the starting pitcher appeared in box scores on consecutive days with no runs allowed in either game? 1st hour is free, the court validates for an additional 2 hours. Most people dont know his first name, but he is the most recognized person in East Tennessee. Feigner and the Court arranged for a June 14, 1973 rematch with Pay n Pak at White Center Stadium. I threw a ball against a wall to play pitch and went down to the creek and skipped thousands of stones. Put up or shut up, the manager replied. Check Koufax. They played in a lot of tournaments and went to the 1974 Tennessee State Tournament. Eddie Feigner, was a crowd-pleasing softball pitcher and showman who toured the world for 55 years as The King and His Court, He was with out a doubt the greatest softball pitcher who ever lived. Its easy for the Globetrotters because the other team plays along, Feigner told Sports Illustrated. The state of South Carolina inducted him into its sports Hall of Fame, because he beat its teams so many times. When I did, it completely changed my life.. He had a curveball that would dip 18 inches. They actually think the crowd came to see them.. A psychiatrist told me Id never straighten up until I found my mother. Mr. Feigner (pronounced FAY-ner) was, beyond dispute, the greatest softball pitcher who ever lived. And there were not enough bare-chested women, though there were a few of those, too. 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