Sunday, February 11, 2007
LONG LIVE THE KING
If you have never seen Eddie Feigner pitch softball (live) then you have missed one of the 20th Century's great phenoms.
Known as The King And His Court, Feigner and his pals toured the country for years beating the shit out of every other player of the sport whether amateur, professional, whatever.
When I was a kid, The King and His Court came to our town and did a show.
They were at the caliber of the Harlem Globetrotters.
You saw it but you could not believe it.
Now, no more pitches. The King is dead.
Eddie Feigner, 81; showman of fast-pitch softball's 'King and His Court'
Somewhere, a new King is arising.
Eddie Jr. toured with his Dad for many years but he has aged out as well.
Fertile territory for some young man.
But, those days may be over. I would like to think not.
But, I fear we are at the point where the idea of getting up and going to a ball park to see a man fast pitch every comer into the ground is an anachronism.
Eddie was the King of his era and both he and the era passed together.
Good timing.
And what a great last name for a pitcher!
They have one thing wrong in the obit. Feigner was not an 'ex'-Marine. There are no 'ex'-Marines.
He was, for the record, the spittin' image of a marine drill sergeant.
