It all began in 1946. Eddie Feigner had been pitching in the Green Pea League of Walla Walla Valley, Washington. He pitched for Kilburg's Grocery store. During one game, Feigner had easily beaten a team from Oregon 33-0. After the game was over, many of the players gathered at a tavern. The manager walked past Feigner at the tavern and made a nasty comment about Feigner's pitching ability. Feigner yelled that he could beat any team that the manager could put together with just a catcher. The manager challenged Feigner to prove it. Feigner agreed, and the only stipulation was that Feigner needed four players to bat in case the bases were loaded. The player's Feigner chose for his team were people he'd known since fourth grade. The manager's team was a prison team made of convicts. Eddie Feigner was still anxious to play.
 |
| 1956 |
The first game for the King and His Court took place behind the barbed wire and high walls of a prison. Eddie Feigner pitched a perfect game. He struck out every batter he faced with two exceptions: One failed when he tried to bunt the ball, and the other hit a grounder to the first basemen. The four players of the King and His Court easily beat the nine-player prison team 7-0. The rest is now history.
Eddie Feigner had thrown a 12-inch softball harder than any major league pitcher has ever thrown a baseball. His underhand fastball was once timed at 114 MPH. The fastest documented pitch ever thrown by a major league pitcher is Aroldis Chapman. As of 2018, Chapman owned the record for the fastest pitch ever officially clocked at 105.1 MPH for the New York Yankees.
Compiled by Neil Gale, Ph.D.
No comments:
Post a Comment