Why You've Never Heard of the Best Athlete Ever 

Eddie came to my town in the late 80's. He was definitely in his 60's by then. I have a physical disability and he slowed the ball down enough to let me hit it, but we still had no baserunners. I was fortunate enough to spend over an hour with Eddie after the game talking about softball and life and I truly admire him. Gary West, one of his teammates, presented me with his jersey that night. I still have it.

I’m so glad someone finally made a video about Eddie Feigner. Dude was a legend. Killer video

I got to play against The King and his Court in late 60's in Indianapolis. Was on a JC's softball team that scheduled a game against them and it was awesome! We got one hit, a late swing triple down the line, but didn't score (surprise, surprise!). Eddie could really bring the heat and his ball moved all over the place. He struck me out pitching blind folded from 2nd base! I was our catcher and after the game Eddie asked if I wanted to catch a couple of pitches, yes of course! He told me not to move my glove, which was good advice, he threw me a fast ball that I didn't even see, just ended up in my mit, then a curve that I swear broke at least two feet, if I would have moved my glove to go where I thought that pitch was going it would have hit me in the chest as it broke right back in and in my mit. What a great experience it was to play against his team.

My dad was an excellent pitcher in softball and fastball. He told me stories about Mr Feigner and the King and his Court. But this is the first time I saw him. Thank you! Nothing better than great athletic ability and humor combined!

I had the privilege of batting against him in Williamsport, Pa in the early 1970's. I was still a teenager and already a pretty decent fast pitch softball player. I was chosen to be a participant by the other players in the league. I was so excited and confident I could hit him. He made me look like a fool! I only got to bat once because there were several other "all star" players that also wanted a try at it. None of them succeeded. Another "win" for the King and an experience I will never forget.

Thanks for posting this...and friend just sent me the link. I actually played w TKHC for a few years, my wife and I lived with and took care of Eddie for awhile up until he passed. It was definitely the experience of a lifetime and was easily twice as crazy as what you actually show...the stories that could be told could make a series alone! Ha! Thanks again for educating the younger generation and those who have no clue who Eddie was! Happy New Year.

I remember my high school coach telling me about this guy in the late 90s. I didn't look into it then mainly because it sounded unbelievable, but basically all of what he told us was covered in this video.

I saw The King in central PA around 1983 when I was about 12 years old. He was simply amazing even then. Most of what I recall was him talking and putting on a pitching demonstration and telling stories. He was still an incredible athlete and a great showman. We were in awe. What an honor to see him throw. Thank you for this videos, great memories!

He should be a legend in mlb the show

I saw the King and his Court a couple of times. Men’s fast pitch was a thing a big thing in the 50’s and 60’s. They played all the all start teams and I never saw them lose. This wasn’t the Washington generals but the best players in the area. He was great but the other 3 guys covered the whole field. The catcher could beat the hitters to first on a ground ball to the right side when Eddie pitched from second. The infielders played a real deep short and second, and could run down flyballs to the fence. They always packed the places they played. He had some great athletes on his teams. When he pitched from the mound not many got the bat on the ball. But if they got a little lead he would go back to second. It was an interesting show and provided some great memories for those people.

Fastpitch Softball and travel teams used to be huge in the 70s and 80s. My uncle played on a travel team in which he was one of the best players around. Rumors have it, he hit over 600 home runs in his time with the local travel club and it was all very competitive. Kings of the Court came around for their game with the community all star team and my uncle was one of the only players to ever hit a home run of this guy.

Wow. Thanks for making this video. The King and His Court came to my small hometown when I was young, and played an exhibition two blocks from my childhood home. Eddie was in his 60s by then, but obviously was still an unbelievable pitcher. It's an incredibly fond memory from my childhood. This video made my day.

Wow, that's right, goes way back. I saw them when I was a kid (I'm 54 now), but the 4 of them beat a local all star team of ten players; and these guys were good, serious ball players who were trying to win. Feigner struck out the last 12 batters of the game, then played later that night in the next town. I think his SS was also his son, IIRC.

I've definitely heard of Eddie Feigner. My Dad used to take me to see The King and His Court every summer when I was growing up. They would play an exhibition in our small town just outside of Pittsburgh against an all-start team chosen the local softball leagues. The man would strike out batters while pitching from second base...on his knees...blindfolded.

I remember seeing him at Cobb Field in Billings Montana in the 70's. I was in awe. When you would look at who THKC played, you couldn't believe that they would win. And usually the did. Proud to say that I saw him pitch.

This is incredible. I almost cried listening to this. How can a human being do what this man did. Get out and do something folks. We'll never accomplish what this man did, but we should do something, shouldn't we?

I'm 75 years old and played fastpitch softball from the age of 18 to 38. I played in the top league of my city for ten years. As a pitcher on a fastpitch all star team in the late 70's, our team was the last in Portland, Oregon to beat Feigner's King and His Court. He returned to the area for several more years, but played in surrounding towns. We viewed him as an important figure in the game, which he spent his life promoting. Sadly, he never received the accolades he deserved. Like many who've watched this feature, I question some of the achievements, but he was (and always will be in my mind), one of the greatest ball players (of any ball sport) to have ever lived. To do what he did for as long as he did was a borderline miracle. I could do a lot of the things he could do (pitching from 2nd base, blindfolded, behind my back, but not with the speed and ball movement he possessed. His rise ball jumped a foot and his drop ball moved at least 18 inches. Try swinging at that when it's coming at you from 46-1/2 feet at 80 mph, let alone how fast he threw it (which was considerably greater than 80). A great sportsman!

I got to play against them in the late 80's, I was a hotshot, big hitting right fielder in my league and thought I'd have a chance. The catcher asked me to wiff hard on the first pitch then they would give me a solid fastball to hit. Swear to god I barely saw it, panic swung and fouled it off. I knew at that point I was toast. Sure enough here came the behind the back riser and I got sat down in 3 pitches. Best night of my life playing softball.

No doubt that Eddie is and always will be one of the greatest ballplayers of all time. The resilience and tenacity to overcome a very difficult childhood and the perseverance that he showed is inspiring to say the least. Didn't make very much money but the things that he experienced are worth all the tea in China.

Eddie was a friend of mine , I was one of the Best Pitchers in the country,Pitched with the 49 er clippers, Pg county Md.Had my own Class A Fastpitch ball team, I pitched in a charity game in Fairfax va.for exhibition with Eddie. I could control 100 mph raiseball or I could float one by you. I wrote Eddie one time and we met. I pitched over 2000 ball games .

I cant believe id never heard of this guy, what a legend

He was a friend of my grandfather, always thought the stories were exaggerated. Crazy to see him on here i did not know half of this stuff

Incredible tribute! Thank you so much for bringing Eddie's life and accomplishments to our attention!

There was a barnstorming softball team in Quebec in the 70's and 80's like this, called "les 4 chevaliers O'Keefe". Same deal, crazy pitcher, psyching people out at the plate, batting with wrenches, ect. That was a lot of fun.

Thank you for making this video! I first heard of feigner from my grandfather, who played against the king and his court ( when Feigner was in his prime). My grandfather told me a story that Feigner intentionally walked him. When he got to first base, the first baseman told him to get a really big lead, so he did. Feigner then picked off my grandfather at first base with a behind-the-back throw that was so fast he couldn't react and was left standing there when the first baseman tagged him. Anyways thanks for making the video! Loved it!

Saw The King and his Court as a kid in the late 70’s early 80’s at my local ballpark. Insanely talented. Blindfolded, through the legs, from second base. Saw all of it. And he told jokes and stories while doing it.

Saw Eddie play back in the late 80’s down in the Texas Panhandle. Was awesome to see. They took down the local all star team and only allowed one run. I still have the booklet they were selling showing the history of The King and His Court.

Eddie was a friend of my Father's. I met him many times and watched them practice and play. What an AMAZING team and individual.

It’s a good mind read, following your dreams doesn’t always pay out. He just loved playing softball and you can tell it was his biggest passion in life, taking odd jobs just to keep afloat. Nobody could travel and live the way he did and put that type of product on the field, he truly was a king, RIP.

My neighbor through my childhood was a member of the King and his Court, Jack Knight, joined in the early 80’s, that van was in his driveway my entire life, I’ve been in it several times. I hope I can show this to him somehow, I had never understood exactly what is was he did, but I watched him throw some insane trick pitches just like this. He threw out the first pitch at my little league and said he would be nothing without Eddie. I never knew what he was talking about until now. Wow

Saw him pitch many times on USAF bases that I grew up on. Struck out all-star Air Force Base All-Star teams from behind his back, from second base, blindfolded, guy was AMAZING!!!

This man was such a blessing. I am so glad I was able to see and meet him several times when I was a kid in the 70's and 80's. If anyone should ever have a full length documentary IN THEATER movie, it's him. I don't think he or his teammates were ever in a hurry to leave after their games. He would stay til every hand was shook and all autographs were signed. Maybe he knew there was others out there that had rough times like him .... and he was going to do anything he could to allow everyone, at least for a lil while, to laugh and feel like they mattered. Thanks Mr. Eddie Feigner, you are missed. R.I.P. I kinda have to believe there will be softball in heaven. 🙏✌😎👍⚾

I also got the pleasure of seeing him once in the early 80's. When my Dad told us that it was a 4-man team we were about to watch, we laughed thinking they would get slaughtered! They won 10-1 and amazed the packed crowd at a minor league ball park. Truly amazing guy and team!

His story needs to be made into a movie. This screams road trip comedy.

Read about this guy as a kid from a sports anthology,had forgotten all about it until now.Thanks for posting.The man is a legend and should get recognition from MLB

I remember watching these guys on TV when I was young (68 now) and I really loved seeing them. I think they were even on the Wild World of Sports more than once. I was amazed then and still am. As soon as the saw the word 'King' on the screen I knew who they were. Great memories. Thanks for the video.

yup, my pop played on an egg farm sponsored team, "pro" softball and baseball and they faced the king, got struck out from 2nd base - he also faced satchel paige somewhere in Louisiana when he was in his 50's, lol, different world now

I remember seeing this guy back in 1979. He was at our junior high school baseball field. He was incredible. I'm glad I got the chance to see him pitch.

Saw him pitch August '82 on L.I. He was striking guys out from 2nd base. Truly great. Never forgot it.

Awesome! I saw Eddie Fiegner and the King and His Court while I was in High School it was crazy how fast that softball was coming in to home plate.

I was lucky enough to see Eddie in my youth. Watched him play our town champions at the time. They never had a chance. Fond memories of when I used to play. I'll be 74 this February.

Saw the King twice. Fast pitch was the top dog in the 50's and 60's. Slow pitch was for those that could not play. He was no joke. My hometown all stars ended up tieing him in one game 1-1. Someone on the team managed to hit the ball over second with one on. It was an easy score since the short stop had to run the all down. So basically, if you managed to make contact, you had a chance to win. Second time was about 20 years later. About 5000 came out to see him again play a group of all stars. He was simply amazing. You heard about all the stuff he could do but until you actually saw him do it, you really could not believe all the stories. I mean, really how do you strike someone out pitching from second base, blindfolded? I saw it and I was in my 20's so it was not some pipe dreaming little kid. He threw the ball so fast that too was unbelievable. A true legend. His records are Paul Bunyan-esk in nature. Hard to believe but I still have the program from that game in the late 70's. I will have to dig it out. His story does need to be told. Yes, they did have fun and messed around, but all these guys could really play too.

I saw Eddie (the king and his court) when I was a kid in ‘78 or “79 in Dubuque Iowa. I remember he was absolutely awesome and I was just in awe!!! RIP Eddie, thanks for the memorable night of softball in our town!!

Great video. When I was a child my dad took me and my brother to watch him play a game in our hometown. He struck out several (local allstars) from second base, blindfolded. It was amazing to see!

He was my friend's uncle when I was in grade school. Saw him pitch in person many times in the early 70's. He was unbelievable.

Saw "The King and his Court" twice. They played the best players from the North American Aircraft Company (becoming Rockwell later) teams at North American Park. The company had leagues that played 5 nights a week. Saturdays were for "The North American baseball school" in the morning, Little League in the afternoon. Sundays were the company baseball team playing other companies. Great time to grow up in SoCal!

Great vid! I was fortunate to see the King and his Court several times when I was a kid in Vancouver, B.C. Him & his team are a big part of my love of baseball.

Great video for giving him recognition. Really appreciate when people do stuff like this

Title is a little confusing cause I definitely heard of Bartolo Colon

The fact this man has such good content is insane

When the King and his court came anywhere close to our area the family would always catch their show. Always a good time, incredible display of talent 👏 Thanks Eddie 😊 ⚾️

Had the pleasure of seeing Eddie when I was a young boy many years ago. What a great pitcher and a class gentleman. Thank you Eddie for the memories, may you R.I.P.!!

Ah I remember seeing this guy on tv growing up, in the 1980s. What an incredible life this guy led…imagine the stories he had.

I literally just watched the King of the hill episode parodying him ("The ace and his diamonds") last night. Had no idea there was a real life version wow

I've seen him perform multiple times and bated against him (he took it VERY easy). What a talent and showman His son was also no slouch on the mound.

Haven't thought about him in years. I saw them once as a kid and totally remember him pitching from 2nd base. Cool memory.

A legendary player worthy of more attention than he received. Talented athlete and entertainer. A great promoter that earned his title "King" the hard way. I saw him 3 times and cant even imagine how dominant he was in his prime. Thanks for creating this story. It deserves to be shared.

My dad took me to see them a couple of times when I was a kid back in the 80s. To this day my dad and I still talk about the stuff we saw them do. Those who never got a chance to watch them, really missed something great.

Thank you for putting this video together. I was just remembering last week watching The King and His Court on TV with my dad when I was a little kid.

I played against him twice in the 60s and 70s. He was fantastic!

Played against The King and His Court in the mid-80's. Such a great experience and one I'll never forget. Thanks for the memories King.

I first heard about him in a book Strange but True Sports stories. He is truly the King of Softball. Sad to hear that his overall life story was not so glamorous. He was definitely driven. I hope people will remember him.

I saw him in person one time and he was a lot of fun. His show and the 4 guys with him were like watching the Globe trotters. He would stop in small towns as well as big cities. Great video.

Great video! And reading the replies with so many memories from people who saw him or played against him is quite a treat too. I saw him play in the mid 70s at Johnstown’s Point Stadium. The man put on a great show. I also thank God for my uncle who took me and my brother to watch him… he passed away a few years back from cancer, but was so kind and generous to his nephews, leaving memories for a lifetime and an example for me to follow in so many ways.

My father pitched against Eddie twice. Funny story, Eddie and some of those guys would invite the opposing team with them at a bar the night before the game. The guys on the local fast pitch team were joking about who could hit Eddie, and were teasing my dad, who mainly pitched but wasn't a great hitter that he would look silly against Eddie. Eddie and my dad were drinking beer and talking later that night, and Eddie told him "i'll throw the first bell straight down the middle. You hit it". I think he did get the hit, but I don't actually remember outside the story.

Honey, get up, it’s a BDE vid!

Not only have I heard of him, I saw him pitch when I was a kid when he came to our town. He was unbelievable!

This is so amazing stuff! What a legend!

You can't just say something like 'he played saxophone at funerals' like it's a normal thing

my great grandpa played this guy. He was crushed. My grandpa was just a kid and he went to the game and he tells me the story a lot. It was in Lakeland Florida.

Thanks for producing this. Saw Eddie at Memorial Park in Streetsville, Ontario in 1979. Parallels to Harlem Globetrotters, for sure.

I remember the All-Star celebrity softball game that Feigner pitched. And that one fake out to Mays! Amazing. I've never seen anything like it since.

I had the pleasure of playing against Eddie and his 4-man team. I walked, then got picked off... It was a great show!

I played against them. I believe it was 1989/1990. It was at the Hammond FOP Hammond, Indiana I was in college then and it was nothing I've ever seen before. I played college baseball and he made me look like a fool. It was the craziest and unreal thing I've ever been apart of. We still,to this day, talk about it.

What a legend. I didn’t know of him, but jesus is his story inspirational. What an absolute badass

What a great video on a Legend! The King and His Court would barnstorm through Iowa in the 70s and 80s. I recall our town put together an all-star team to play them. The team was really good...and lost to something like ~30-3. Eddy was late in his prime, but threw so incredibly. Guys said he threw so hard with ridiculous movement.

I'll never forget Eddie Feigner now. The level of sacrifice he had to give to do what he loved is beautiful, and he deserves to be remembered.

out of all the things in this video I never thought I'd hear, "played saxophone at funerals" might be the most random. Great video! Never heard of Eddie Feigner before now I'm fascinated with his story

Wow. Unbelievable, im sad that i had never heard of him, but now i sure do, what a legend!

I Absolutely Agree ! Amazing special person.Hes at rest.Thankyou Eddie for so much of yourself you gave it all.RIP.

The thing is, he doesn’t even exist because just like baseball, softball doesn’t exist either.

I got to meet him and see him play when I was a teenager in Manchester, Missouri. He was dazzling to watch. An absolute crowdpleaser.

Amazing story. Just incredible talent. Thank you for posting this video!

Keep real LEGENDS like this alive! Nice work!

I started to tell my dad about him and once I said he played on a team with 4 players he said “wait a minute, is that the King and his Court? I used to go watch them play all the time when I was little.” It was really cool because he hadn’t thought about them in years and never knew his name

I met him, shook his hand, and enjoyed his game. You had to marvel his fluid pitching. Incredible. RIP Eddy.

I had the pleasure of watching Eddie Feigner a number of times growing up in Ct. He was an amazing pitcher and player. Truly one of a kind.

I saw these guys when I was a kid, they were amazing. Eddie should be in the baseball hall of fame.

My Grandfathers team beat him one day. They had George Shuba on the team (the first man to shake Jackie Robinsons hand in the MLB) and they were from Youngstown Ohio.

Thanks for sharing this story with us. I never knew about this guy. Great Vid.

Awesome. Thanks for posting

I got to go see his show in Louisiana back in 92-93. It was great! Glad I got to see him.

0:17 they really said you’re just to good

Great video! Thanks for pointing out in the intro that he threw that fastest pitch while he was alive. 😉 He suffered from depression, so it makes sense, but talk about a "glass half full" mentality. He thought of his life as wasted because he was the best at something, but thought no one cared. In reality he turned a talent at something that is largely, for men anyway, an excuse to drink beer with the boys on weekends, into a lifetime career. He was famous and beloved. As a boy in the 80s, only interested in the pros, I knew who he was because of SI and early ESPN (they showed anything that even remotely resembled a sport then). You could put a gun to my head, and I couldn't name another male softball player, but I knew Eddie. Pretty damn remarkable what he accomplished with a gift that otherwise had no value.

Eddie Feigner and Dick Trickle are birds of a feather. Trickle won at least 1,200 short track features, but is only remembered primarily for his name. He did make over 300 career starts in NASCAR Winston Cup during his career, but he was past his peak in sub-par equipment. RIP gentlemen.

This guy is awesome can’t believe I never heard of him thanks for the video man some of those pitches and windups are nasty

Before you move forward you have to know what you left behind. He was a man's man, and you can't even begin to find anyone comparable, that is a testament to the man and his life.

This was a very interesting video, my pops used to tell me stories of the old fast pitch softball days.

I saw the King once. What a show. Either in Columbus or Springfield, Ohio. Fastpitch softball was huge in Ohio in the 70s. A three-stop light town, West Liberty, Ohio, hosted the national fast pitch tournament in 71, if I remember correctly, and I think the local team, the Ohio Caverns Cavemen won the tournament. I know they were National Champs in the early 70s. Watched them all the time. Loved fastpitch.

Many years ago when I first heard of his allegeded 114 mph pitch, I researched the issue. He threw 87 mph out of his hand during a test at a college in Canada, which was the equivalent of a 114 mph pitch from an overhand thrower from a distance of 60'6". IF memory serves me correctly, Eddie's pitch took .32 seconds from release to the plate, a distance of 43', and this served as the basis for the legend of his 114 mph pitch, a MLB pitch that would arrive at the strike zone in .32 seconds. Don't get me wrong, he possessed serious tools, but those video strikeouts of MLB players were achieved with illegal pitches. How in the heck could one time them properly!