Retro Wednesday.......

Hi Everybody...As many of you know, I was raised by my grandparents. My Grandpa was a hard working man for General Motors. He couldn't do a lot of things that parents did with kids, but he taught me about hunting and fishing, and he took me to sporting events like the Detroit Tiger's baseball games. He also took me to wrestling matches, the Harlem Globetrotters, and in 1962 took me to Atwood Stadium to see...The King and His Court!

The King and His Court consisted of a fire-throwing phenom named Eddie Feigner, and 3 other guys that changed several times over the years. They would barnstorm into town with much publicity and ballyhoo, and then challenge that particular home-towns softball All-Star Team.

9 vs 4. And unlike the Harlem Globetrotters, they played for real, and to WIN!!!

They started playing in 1946, and played up until 2000..

Feigner was amazing, he could pitch blindfolded, between his legs, behind his back, and from SECOND BASE!! The King and his Court played over 10,000 games...And in that span, Feigner pitched over 238 PERFECT games, and threw over 900 NO-HITTERS!!

I remember Driving home from out West in 1998, I was in some small town in Iowa getting gas when in pulled a Chevy Passenger Van. On the side of the van was painted WORLD FAMOUS KING AND HIS COURT!!! And sure enough, behind the wheel of the van was the man himself, Eddie Feigner. One by one they piled out of the vehicle to do whatever, I was absolutely mesmerized by the scene unfolding before me. I finished pumping my gas and sat behind the wheel of my van, flooded with memories of a great and loving upbringing, by simple honest people.....Eventually tears started streaming down my cheeks and I stared off into nothingness remembering that moment in time when me and Gramps went to see a Legend!!

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I still have that program, signed by all 4 members of that travelling team..

Eddie Feigner died in 2007....RIP Eddie....YOU ROCKED!!!!

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Peace...!!!