32 AMERICANWAY
JULY 1 2007
ILLUSTRATIONBYFRANKSTOCKTON
P H E N O M
The
Greatest
Pitcher
—Ever
Eddie Feignerwas a
terror on themound
and a sweetheart off
it.
By LarryDobrow
great Joe Morgan, Feigner’s longtime friend. Adds former Detroit Tiger Jim
Northrup: “IfEddiedidn’twant you tohit theball, youdidn’t hit theball.”
The numbers — compiled by the King himself, mind you, not by Stats —
paint an almostmythological portrait of domination. Between 1938 and 1998,
Feigner pitched in 11,125games,winning9,743and tying310.Hepitched930
no-hittersandrangup141,517strikeouts,averaging24pergameover thecourse
ofhismostwhiff-happy season.Feignerevenkept trackofhis lightermoments:
Whileblindfolded, he struckout 8,698of the 16,600battershepitched to.
And yet, a fewmonths after his death, it is Feigner’s off-the-mound legacy
that inspires friends and strangers alike to break out the stories. Yes, that can-
nonof a right armbroughtFeigner fame and riches—which, according to for-
mer teammates, were in equal parts lavishedupon those less fortunate thanhe
and squandered. But Feigner rode that golden limb for all it wasworth, living
among the richest lives imaginable.
People talk about his constant work on behalf of children’s charities and
competitor and one part charity-
minded entertainer.With Feigner on
the hill, launchinghis reportedly 103-
mph
pitches from secondbase andbetween
his legs,
thesquaddidn’tneedmuch in thewayofdepth.Theygot
bywithacatcher,afirstbaseman,andarovingshortstop.
TheCourt played everywhere, fromprisons to rodeos to
Dodger Stadium—where, in 1967, at age 42, Feigner
punched out Willie Mays, Roberto Clemente, Brooks
Robinson, Willie McCovey, Maury Wills, and Harmon
Killebrew… in succession. For those counting at home,
that’s five Hall of Famers and one fringe candidate for
enshrinement.
“I couldn’t hit a softball theway he threw it. I didn’t
even try,” says Hall of Famer and Cincinnati Reds
CyYoungmighthave511wins and the
award that bearshisname. SandyKoufax
mightwear theunofficial “mostunhit-
table inhisprime” crown.RogerClemens
might boast themodern-eramojoand the
Hummersbequeathed tohimuponhis
annual retirements.But tohear some tell
it, nomemberof that exalted triadowns
asmuchof a claim to the titleof thegreat-
estpitcherwhoever livedasdoesEddie
“theKing”Feigner.¶Feigner,whodied in
Februaryat theageof 81, barnstormed the
country for61yearsas theheadof theKing
andHisCourt, a four-man softball team
whoseplayerswereonepart stone-cold
