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Show Page 8—-THE HERALD, Provo, Utah, Sunday, August 23, 1981 NEW YORK (UPI) — It started as a challenge 35 years ago and today, even at the age of 54. Eddie Feigneris probably the world's most famoussoftball pitcher. Feigner accepted a dare in 1946 to play a 9-man ae center ; 3: Automotive RADIAL #«.. £ “CHARGEIT” on SearsCharge thru August 29 With a wider and deeper tread, a wider shoulder and a wider center rib than our Weatherhandler to help deliver better traction, handling andstability. This is our best all-weather tire now available to you at great savings. Don't pass N * a On Fastball Sears 4, SoftballKing| Retains Zip softball tea with just tiree other players — a catcher, a first baseman and a shortstop. He won easily and began the touring team that cameto be known as “The King and his Court.” “I started pitching at about 10 or 1] in parochial school,"’ Feigner recalled recently. ‘I just watched how someof the older guys pitched and I imitated them. I taught myself how to pitch. Nobody ever sat down and showed me. “T used to see a lot of the great touring teams, the Houseof David team. the Colored Ghosts. Just about that time, I guess it was 1935-36, the old orthodox or backhandstyle of pitching was going out and windmill delivery was just comingin, so I got in right at the start. “The original King and his Court (Feigner, Meade Kinzer, Mike Meilicke and Ken White) all lived within four blocks of each other. I was in the sixth grade and the others werein the seventh grade or high school. We played for a 9-man team andbatted 2-3-4-5. You couldn't get through the four of us this deal up. No available at Sears Automotive Centers. Sears Supergurad 25 beltedtires without being behind a run — we werethat good.”” Maal G78-15 65.95 PRICE F.E.T. now at Sears Automotive Centers. Wee 78-15 ¥ 178-15 72.95 78.95 3.39 3.55 The dare that prompted the 4-man team came in Pendleton, Ore. “We had just beaten a team really bad — thinkit was20-1,” said Feigner.‘I was a good Christian kid andthey started getting on mepretty bad, calling me Thru August 29 a ‘peanut eater,’ which was the name they used for 1 Superguard Belted Adventists. I told them we could use just four guys * Guardsman LT 2 impact-resistantfiber-glass belts and smooth-riding polyester plies. For smooth riding and good reponsivetraction on wet or dry roads. Buy prceea 1 “T decided to try it out so we set up a gameat the state prison at Walla Walla. Wash., with the four of us against a 9manteam.I told them to do everything they would normally try — bunt, steal. I saw it could Thru August 29 priceea f= \ 14 Superstar| Custom wheels 15x7 (unifit) 9 15x7 (5 bolt) “The next week we went down and played the Pendleton team. I pitched as good as I could — I had 19 strikeouts. one bunt and one grounder and we won 7-0. That wasthestartof it. The next dayI got a call from a guy whohadseen us and wanted ustoplay his team.” Feignerput his 4-man team onthe shelf temporarily, since it caused internal problems on 9-man squads, but when the four of them lost their jobs, they were back in business for good. 50 Regular 36.95 Thru August 29 SAVEonSearsPolyestertires “T was working for a companyin Boise, Idaho, and playing for a 9-man team when the Atomic Energy Dynaply 18. Polyester cord gives strength andit resists flat-spotting to help give a smooth, comfortable ride. Hundredsof gripping edges on tread for traction and stability for a safer, more comfortable ride with assur- Commission suspended their contract,’’ said Feigner, ‘They had to drop the team andI also was out of work. We decided to take our 4-mangroup on tour in Western Canada and weplayed 47 games and made $26,000 selling tickets at a dimeand a quarter each. “We put the King and his Court idea together in 1946. I was raised by a family named King and everyone always knew meas King.I wasreading the papers and noticed a story about the Rose Bowl Queen and hercourt and it hit meto call ourselves ‘King and his Court.’ “Weplayed all over the world andI put new things in the act, pitching between my legs and behind my back. I once tried bowling blindfolded as a dare and decided to be it pitching. It worked. I learned now to pitch blindfol dedfrom second base. Actually,I think I'ma betterpitcherblindfolded becauseI don'ttry to finessea batter.I just try to throw strikes.”’ Feigner had just about faded into obscurity in recent years when the Miller Brewing Company decided to use him in a beer commercial. It’s been a rebirth. “T can’t say how muchthe Miller commercial has changed mylife," said Feigner. ‘I’ve been getting calls ever since, people saying they thought I was 3.11 pe FET 14 and beat them and wesetit up. Trucks, vans, R.V.'s \) SIZE ance. 4 for *99 4 for $119 13-in., 14-in., 15-in., 4 for 139 Thru August 29 SAVE ° on Sears DieHard battery 99 Automatic Services dead or retired and didn’t know I wasstill pitching. Now there are people in Hollywood looking to make a movie of mylife.” Feigner has used more than 30 players as part of his “King and His Court’ over the years and the groupcurrently includes his son. But throughit all. Feignerand his pitching artistry remain the hit of the show. “Myoriginal King and his Court team — they were the best — the world doesn't know how good those guys were.” said Feigner. “If softball was a pro sport, those guys would have been the Ted Williams and Base Ruthofsoftball. In my prime. I could throw over 100 miles an hour, especially in the last of the 12th after the ump just made twobad calls."* Feignerfeel thereis a future for softball as a pro sport but only with major subsidies. ‘The gameoffastpitch still has a few great teams butit’s dying nationally becauseit’s not an Olympic Sportandit’s not professional,” he explained. ‘There are somegreat pitchers still around but most of them are in their 40s. AFTER ALL THESE YEARS PowerFlush Regular 26.99 2 299 freeze/summercoolant and install anit-rust/water Front-end Alignment 4-wheeldrive 560 plus Thru August 29 shims We'll caster/camber and toe to manufacturer's specs. We'll also inspect front end. Includes torsion bar adjustment whenrequired. 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