Great picture of The King. Remember his pitching between his legs, striking people out from 2nd base and only having one outfielder. Played Fast Pitch Softball for a couple of years after I moved to Texas and it was much harder to hit than a baseball, IMO. I was at Fort Hood in Central Texas for four years and they had some great fast pitch teams in the surrounding area.
As kids we saw his team play on The Wide World of Sports. We were amazed.
I think his name was Eddie Feigner.
I think they officially listed the three (position !) players as catcher, 1st baseman, and shortstop (but like you suggested -- was basically in short left center.
The King even pitched some blind-folded!
I found the following in
wikipedia:
The King and His Court touring team played over ten thousand softball games in a hundred countries from the late 1940s to the beginning of the 21st century and achieved widespread fame similar to that of the
Harlem Globetrotters.
Feigner's meticulous records claim 9,743 victories, 141,517 strikeouts, 930 no-hitters and 238 perfect games.The Washington Post described him as "the greatest softball pitcher who ever lived." Despite his substantial record, Feigner said that while his team was known for taking on local softball teams and often winning by considerable margins, the intent of the King and His Court was to entertain audiences, never to embarrass opposing players. "When a man steps up to the plate, we have nothing but respect for him," he was noted for oft quoting.
In honor of his time in the
Marine Corps, the King and His Court often played against military personnel, often at venues such as Army bases or the decks of aircraft carriers. They had also been known for donating considerable amounts of ticket profits to charity, and following
Operation Desert Storm, had put veteran support as the chief charity they played for.
On February 18, 1967, Feigner appeared in a celebrity charity softball game against many Major League players. In the game Feigner struck out Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, Brooks Robinson, Roberto Clemente, Maury Wills, and Harmon Killebrew all in a row.[1] Feigner also struck out Alan Chambers three times in a 1976 exhibition game.
[2]
