Eddie Feigner, the greatest softball player ever, has passed away at the age of 81.
With a fastball once clocked at 104 mph, Feigner threw 930 no-hitters and 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.
A stroke in 2000 — a day after he threw out the first pitch before the women’s softball competition in the Sydney Olympics — ended his playing career at age 75. He left the team for medical reasons last summer and lived in Trenton, Tenn., for the last several years until recently moving to Huntsville.
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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 center field and blindfolded. In a nationally televised exhibition against major-leaguers at Dodger Stadium in 1964, he struck out Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, Maury Wills, Harmon Killebrew, Roberto Clemente and Brooks Robinson in order.
Feigner began “The King and His Court” in 1946 on a dare in his hometown of Walla Walla, Wash. He had just thrown a shutout in his nine-man team’s rout of a team from Pendleton, Ore., and the Oregon team challenged him to another game. Backed by just a catcher, first baseman and shortstop, Feigner pitched a perfect game, winning 7-0.
At the height of Feigner’s popularity, the team played at major-league ballparks, including Yankee Stadium, and Feigner appeared on numerous national television shows, including “The Today Show,” “I’ve Got a Secret,” “What’s My Line?” and the “CBS Sports Spectacular.” On the “Tonight Show,” he pitched blindfolded to Johnny Carson, who loosely held a bat over a home plate. Feigner hit Carson’s bat on his first pitch.
In 2002, ESPN named Feigner’s fastball one of the ten best pitches of all time. I regret never having seen him pitch in person, but his legend was almost vivid enough to make up for it. Rest in peace, Eddie Feigner.
UPDATE: Comments are now closed, but I received the following in email, which I’m adding here. If you want to comment on this post, send it to me at the address above.
I know this is a late post, but I just learned of Eddie Feigner’s passing in last week’s Parade Magazine. I consider myself privileged to have seen the King & his Court play back in the 60’s and 70’s in the Detroit area. He was an awesome softball player. I took a special interest in him because I was a softball pitcher too, back when fast-pitch softball was a popular men’s game. One special memory: after the game, he invited the opposing catcher out to catch a few of his pitches. When Eddie threw the poor guy his best fastball, it knocked the catcher right over! I will always have fond memories of the “King”.
Posted by: Dick Schultz | April 14, 2007 4:07 PM
I had the opportunity to see Feigner and his “Court” play and it was an incredible game to watch. I’m sorry to hear of his death.
I saw him play in Poughkeepsie, NY. a little over 20 years ago. He was amazing for a 60 year old. I don’t know who his shortstop was at the time but he had to have been the fastest softball player I’ve ever seen.
My Dad and I had the honor of playing against Eddie and the court in Greenville S.C. in 1975. We were selected from a group of industrial league all stars to play an exibition game versus the four man team. I pitched 2 innings and gave up 2 runs. My father, Ted Hillhouse had one of the only 3 hits Eddie gave up. We of course lost the game but who cared…we faced the legend…and I can assure you, he was one of a kind. Long live the King and his memory!
As a fastpitch pitcher myself, I played against the King several times in my career, being fortunate to have won a couple times against his team. One of those times was in Huntsville AL with a team of industrial league all-star players. The first win was in Platteville WI as a teenager on a team of high school and college age players. It was always a treat to be on the same field with the Kng and His Court!
WAS REAL SORRY TO HEAR TODAY ABOUT THE PASSING OF THE KING.BACK IN THE 1950′ s + 60’S IN MONTREAL , CANADA WE HAD A GREAT FASTBALL LEAGUE AND COMPETED YEARLY IN THE WORLD TOURNAMENTS IN THE USA .MY LATE FATHER – PAT PATTERSON WAS KNOWN AS THE CASEY STENGEL OF THE SNOWDON FASTBALL LEAGUE TEAMS AND HE SAW EDDIE PLAY IN THE STATES.ONE YEAR HIS TEAM WENT TO FLORIDA TO COMPETE IN A TOURNAMENT AND WAS SUSPENDED BY THE LEAGUE FOR GOING.HE DISCOVERED ONE OF THE FASTEST PITCHERS IN AMERICA AT THE TIME FROM TOLEDO , OHIO IN THAT TOURNAMENT . HE ASKED ACE HOLDEN IF HE WOULD CONSIDER JOINING HIM IN FORMING A CANADIAN VERSION OF THE FOUR MAN TEAM . THEY DID AND TOURED CANADA EVERY SUMMER. SOME OF THE OTHER PLAYERS ON THE SAME 4 MAN TEAM WERE HOCKEY GREATS – DOUG HARVEY AND LORNE GUMP WORSELY WHO JUST PASSED AWAY RECENTLY IN MONTREAL.POP WAS AN ENTREPRENEUR AND STOLE EDDIE’S IDEA AND RAN WITH IT . THEY TALKED MANY TIMES ABOUT PLAYING AGAINST EACH OTHER . I DID SEE EDDIE PLAY IN MONTREAL AND JUST RECENTLY BOUGHT ONE OF HIS OLD POSTERS AT A GARAGE SALE IN UPSTATE NEW YORK . EDDIE WAS ONE OF THE GREATEST SHOWMAN AND A SUPER BALL PLAYER . UNDERSTAND HIS SON IS PRETTY GOOD TOO . DON WAYNE PATTERSON
I was privileged to see the King play twice and both times he showed everyone that he was the very best. I believe him to be the greatest athlete, bar NONE, to ever play any sport. NO one in any sport could boast of anything as good as he. Was so sorry to see him bid farewell.