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. Ken laid down a bunt against Jarflys team in a game that broke up a no-hitter. And off the field, he was one tough son of a gun. Documents are in English and Spanish. All that gave me a strong arm. He played before more than 20 million fans in 4,405 cities across 105 countries. At his peak, in the 1950s and 1960s, he threw a softball harder than any major league pitcher ever threw a baseball. Hoppe remembers playing in 100-degree heat in Tacoma, Wash., one day and in sub-zero cold the next day in Barrow, Alaska. In a 1967 exhibition at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, Mr. Feigner faced a lineup of six Major League Baseball players (five of whom were later elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame). Usually they played against local teams that were simply overmatched. Bueller? I don't know how anybody ever hit the guy.". Nobody else did either. I was a pitiful, screwed-up person with no home, no father and no real mother I knew about. 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. So do yourself a favor this weekend. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. Feigner particularly favored a story about a game in Edmonton when a batter argued that one of Feigners non-pitches was high. The game drew 8,000 fans, who watched Pay n Pak tag Feigner with one of his rare defeats, 7-0. This place hasn't exactly been as enticing as Margatitaville but it isn't that terrible either, especially as multi-purpose stadiums go. But Wes was never hit. He could comfortably fire unhittable strikes around his back or through his legs. The Yankees rewarded the biggest star in the their history with a 30 percent paycut. Season Record. The filmmakers purchased 440 acres (1.8 km2) along the Holston River for the farm set and planted corn. He struck out Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, Brooks Robinson, Harmon Killebrew and Roberto Clemente consecutively. Former major leaguer Jim Northrup said "no man alive" could hit him. 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. Its like being a world-champion noseblower.. It will end where it should. But despite their popularity, Feigner and his Court never made livable wages and, by 1950, found themselves at a crossroads: either abandon the show or take it national to see if that improved the bottom line. Comerica Park, Detroit: 87 He knew no one could get the bat around on Jarflys pitching. 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. Or do you want to see me sock a few dingers!. They were called "The King and His Court." Feigner often appeared on television, including The Today Show, Ive Got a Secret, Whats My Line? and CBS Sports Spectacular. On The Tonight Show, he knocked a cigar out of Johnny Carsons mouth throwing blindfolded. Jarfly could throw a fastball, a riser, a super drop pitch, a curveball and the best change up you would ever see. It was incredible. 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. Try again later. He just made me better," Hoppe said. Because he had already been in starting lineup though, Oswalt went into the box score with this award-winning line: Oswalt started the next night and threw eight scoreless innings. Sadly, I'm talking about the King and His Court, the barnstorming softball team started by the late Eddie Feigner some 65 years ago. You can also usually find him at the Legend Lunches at Dinos every Wednesday in Elizabethton. Appellant Justin King was charged with evading arrest or detention with a motor vehicle and with theft of a firearm. Previously sponsored memorials or famous memorials will not have this option. I bet you it was over 100 mph Youd find the ball and the umpire had already called a strike.. Matt Schudel has been an obituary writer at The Washington Post since 2004. In his younger days Jarfly was pretty wild. I Can See The Steam Spouting From the Steinbrenners' Ears From Here: You want a meaningful race between the Yankees and Red Sox? Jarfly once beat the World Famous King and his Court, one of the best fast pitch softball teams ever; that's how good he was. The King and His Court got its start the way so many wonderful sagas begin -- in a bar. He was 56 at the time. Busch Stadium, St. Louis: 78 WASHINGTON -- Eddie Feigner, a crowd-pleasing softball pitcher and showman who toured the world for 55 years as The King and His Court, died Friday from complications of dementia at Cogburn. Feigner never shied away from tooting his horn. It's your last chance to see a legend, and as the King would say, it's just down the road apiece. The King and His Court barnstormed for 55 years, Feigner ultimately achieving fame as the greatest softball pitcher who ever lived. ", You know the rules. Feigner created lasting impressions with his pitching stunts. Jarfly won with 624 votes, followed by The Midnight Rambler with 500 votes. After practicing against inmates at the Washington State Penitentiary, he and his four-man team had their rematch. His stats, which he supposedly kept detailed records of, are also cartoonish: 9,743 victories, 141,517 strikeouts, and 230 perfect games. For the next few years, Feigner continued to barnstorm with His Court, serving as an emcee. I would have gone back to see Mrs. King more. "The day of the barnstormer is buried this Saturday.". "He asked me if I had played softball. The broadcasters were Vin Scully and Jerry Lewis. Mr. Feigner (pronounced FAY-ner) was, beyond dispute, the greatest softball pitcher who ever lived. I had told them before the game, this is my last game. Softball pitching legend Eddie "King" Feigner and his three-man "court" graced the Iverson Park diamond as they took on a full team of area celebrities and talented players. He pitched in cemeteries, and on airplane runways. Corey Schuettler is at Cloudland, now back teaching what she learned in softball. Which is why the King always had four players. 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. 1987 was a special year for softball players and fans in Stevens Point. Still, Feigner pleased fans and baffled batters everywhere. He has written, illustrated, and self-published roughly one hundred zines. Feigner pitched through more than five decades. The King, 74, spends most of the game on a chair giving commentary and funny remarks regarding the game. All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. "I hope they think of me as an honest, sincere performer who always put on a good show," he said. Thanks for your help! Hey, I'm a big Tim Lincecum fan but this card (2010 Topps 206, No. That was probably the hardest pitch I ever threw: a riser, that the batter missed about a foot. Round it out afterward with a look at his website, where the keepers of his legacy are working to get a documentary made about him. Young Bart was right, he says. Mr. Feigner was born in Walla Walla, Wash., on March 26, 1925, and was adopted at birth. The River was filmed in the Holston Valley area of Church Hill, Tennessee. Rogers Centre, Toronto: 75 or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. By far my favorite read on Eddie Feigner is this portrait from the Washington Post by John Ed Bradley. They wore patriotic-looking uniforms and blended vaudeville bits into their ballgames. But classmates, balking at his religion, refused to let him into their games. He performed tirelessly for charities and youth organizations and after exhibitions would sign autographs for everyone who wanted one. 17. The second-year Sun Devil ran a 45.40 in the 400m final of the USATF Indoor Championships, claiming gold and shattering his own Arizona State program record he set less than 24 hours earlier. "I wanted to recognize in his birthplace that something so special happened. The whole thing is a trip: Eric Nusbaum (words) is a writer based in Tacoma, Washington. All photos uploaded successfully, click on the Done button to see the photos in the gallery. Unfortunately, I'm not talking about the New York Yankees. "Hollywood missed a hell of a story. 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? & A. with Thiel can be heard every Friday during Morning Edition at 5:45am and 7:45am and again that same day on All Things Considered at 4:44pm. The year: 1946. Almost every weekend they were playing in a tournament somewhere. Resend Activation Email, Please check the I'm not a robot checkbox, If you want to be a Photo Volunteer you must enter a ZIP Code or select your location on the map. People have swung three times trying to hit that slow change up pitch. The official 2023 Softball schedule for the Arizona State University Sun Devils. Feigner mailed 3,000 letters to a hodgepodge of service organizations, community groups and advertisers anybody who might want to sponsor a game. That ended his playing/performing career at age 75. 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. But Im not singing the blues. Whatever you needed, an extra jack, a longer phone cord or if your phone just wasnt working correctly, you called Jarfly. We have set your language to That gave him season marks of .301, 34 home runs, 101 RBIs, a 1.023 OPS and a 1-0 record. His name as a child was Myrle Vernon King and, when he began his career, he adopted his mother's maiden name and a friend's first name. For example, in 1969, a club in Bradford, Pennsylvania defeated the King and His Court 1-0 in front of a crowd of 1,200 people. The King and His Court barnstormed for 55 years, Feigner ultimately achieving fame as the greatest softball pitcher who ever lived. The one thing he could do well was throw.He was pitching on adult softball teams by the time he was 9. The King County Superior Court ruled against TVI Inc. on three Consumer Protection Act claims in 2019, but that ruling was overturned in 2021 by the Court of Appeals. 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. They escaped flash floods and tornadoes. Hell, if you live anywhere, get to Walla Walla. ArizonaState, County ofMaricopa City ofTempe Death Records Information, Public Access to Court Information - Case Search, Tempe Criminal Records Searches and State Repository, Top Employment Background Checks for Tempe. He lives in Benicia. One thing I didnt mention above was that in 1967, Eddie pitched in the first ever MLB vs. Celebrity Softball Game. You are young and you can do whatever you want, Baldy told Dugger. Tough son of a gun softball schedule for the farm set and planted.. Who ever lived I had told them before the game, this is my game! York Yankees king and his court softball record Washington the Yankees rewarded the biggest star in the 1950s and,. Ever MLB vs. Celebrity softball game community groups and advertisers anybody who want., community groups and advertisers anybody who might want to see a Legend, and self-published one... Wash., one day and in sub-zero cold the next few years, Feigner to! 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