1953-54 Edition: The King and His Court Softball

THE

ORIIINAL

FOUR MAN

1953-54 I

E

LEFT TO RIGHT-Jerry Jones nnd Mike l\teilicke, Cnrrylng the BA'f bog. F'ollnwcd by Ken White with the Kil run o( equi11mcnt,, l\lnsk, Firsi Ald1_ Extru Shoe Strings, Blindfold. Resin, Lnmp ·mnck for sunny days, elc. Mende ICinz.er. warm up bull in hnnd for Edoic Feigner, wlto, as you see, is ver)' Interested in how· the pitc:hing mound looks. This is the complete unit. A FOUTI-MAN SOFTBALL TEAJ\1 ready for o precision show.

Dear Softball Fan and Friends ...

Next year 'l'ill marl< our tenth year as the Original Four-Mon Softboll teem.

We have now at the publishing hou,. a thrilling Tenth Annivonory Edition of our Story and Picl1lre Album. This booklet will b& availoblo at the ond of our present tour.

This book will cover the fen yeen-1terting ,,.;th our first gomo; how we becamo "The King end His Court" and 1omethlng of our ups and downs es a show. II tolls about our trial, and problems (marl of thom humorous now) ao,d about our families and homu, and othor deter!, nolfer before publithod.

We are making tl,is book a coiloctor's itom, for we are including in words ood picluro, the thrills of these wonderful ye.rs playing for the thousands of our friends end fans. We are el,o including the softball "groats" of present years and years gone by. There will be many pagH of stories o! actual games and lllorally domiu of plduru.

When the book !, ready for distribution ii will sell for $2.00 a copy. Now however, we have oo idea how many to print, encl sinco the 1fre of the book will ma�o a re-nu, e.xpan1ivo, we Are ma\1n9 you this offer: RII out, sign and moU the coupon below and be among the first to gel this interesting book for youriolf, your friends and relativo._lhroe boob for $5.00 or sc,von boob for Ion dollars. All C. 0. D. orden $2.00 per copy, l'O<jardlou of quantity.

If you choo,e, enclase your che" or money order now (propaid copies will bo morlod flm) Md you can avoid postage ond C . 0. D. fofl unOJpectedly, •• w• wlll pay the postage on prepaid orders. Meko ony chocks or money orden payable to: "THE KING AND HIS COURT ALBUM." Addron tho envelop• to: THE KING AND HIS COURT ANNIVERSARY ALBUM P. 0, Box 101'1 Wolle Wallo, Wo,hington, U. S. A.

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BONUS CERTIFICATE DEAR EDDIE. MIKE, MEADE and JURY: Congrah,l•Hont Oft your ••nth .nnl•u1ary 1 ind lo thaw my epprec:t.tlon of "Wh.t yow end your ,how h11•• don• for the g•m• as well as lhe f1.ni. I am enclo1ln9 ._......,,.....�----,---'••·-------<opiu of your boo\. undu you.r Ci.Kl ot M.oll-t'f' o,d•r•pec.-.iAI �,h offer..

OR: • ._.oul.d lll"•--------«>piH of yovr boo� Hnt to th• eddreu b•fO'llf, for ,.hich I viii P•Y lh• porlman $2.00 P•' copy plw C. 0. 0. •nd poat..c;• eh -1r91s.

I •Ill fKlllfy you of eny diange of e.ddrns.. A tKelpt for th• emoun1 uelot♦d h noJ necaiuety � I -.II( hne ffl't coc,l•d c ,h .el ot fflOMY o,d., sh.,!,�

NAM"'----------------

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OUR RECOl!D 060 - Loot 53 - Tied 9 - Won 60'1 Tot.al Come, Ployed O"'r 2,1?00,000 Fana Tolol ALLendance ot C.umoo Over 250,000 Mlloa Total lllh,11 Tra«led Totnl Free School, Conducted 31l! S•plll"At.e Cl189 Bentftta Played '"F-" ,2 Stnloa Pluyod lr, 6 Canadisn Provincu Played In 6 Forelgn Tours 151 Total O11111u Agolnal Title Hoidlng Champlono .857 T•am Battins Avg. Important llem1 In Eddie'• l'itchln• II.cord, Which b the M••I CompMe llocord or Any Ployer In SortbalL

I00S - Lost 07 - Tied 25 - Won 071 Tou,I Comes Pitched 18,GSI .

Total Strike-Out.a Highest A.-g. SUike-Oaui Per Cruna for Ono Senion (0 lnnin11 Gume} 24.0 93 Tollll Perfect Come.

281 TotAI No-Hit m.. Pitdled 400 Totol Shut-Out GnmH Pitched D.U Total &1�r1 Pitched to Blindfolded Total 801tert Sl ruckout Blindfolded �86

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Longest Ga""' Pitched� lnninp. Tied Four 'Mme■, Finally Won ?-0 Pitching - Ed1lle Struck Out 73. Wolked ID. Allowed 8 BJta. (llenui in Eddie'• Becanl Jncludo Both O.Man nnd 4•lli111 Te:un■)

Odd PllltH Our Four-Man Games lla,·a &rn Reid llodeo Crountll, Football rieldJ 1 &Mb:ill Outl\elda, Cow Pllltllres, Patlcing Lota, PrlBon Yard1, Rock Pil.., &nd Lota and Ruco Trackl.

Odd Com11nltor■

Soccer Teama, llockoy Tconu,, Buebnll Te:urui, Baalmball Toonu,, LaCroq Tea1t11, Rugby Team■ and Girl•' Sofib1�I Tt•m•.

We h•�• bee.n 1po1110r� by eYtrJOnl". from th� P.T.A .. to thC! 11ldcf'8t gambltr in hor•r• ra<ln�. w.,. have bttn &.nowNI oul, 1anded 01:11, blown out, nooded out, ralnt!d ou1, but ncter quite run oul--yet.

We ha,e appearNI ih football halftimes. be.tween douhle.Jiud1•r batt!balJ a:a.mP&. bet•Hn race-., b�Lween 11d1 at a falr, al Rabin• de.rbiea. (Htlvala. uposhlon.t and aumpedra.

We hope you wUI not foTaet U.t. a.nd if we evr.r tour your Wll)' again• you wlll welc.ome u& b11c.k with friendly he.art.a.

Your Jett.en and card.I wlll 00 npJ>recinLed. U you duire to aee our 1ho"' a.pin pieue conuict your locnl 1oflboll commiulo11n or 10ftb11U 1pon11<>r. Wo11 be llJ'Ollnd fo r tome time - yet.

THE KING Al'\D HIS COURT

USE

NOKONA MITTS EXCLUSJVELY ·-rhe Best Use the Best·•

l'ilching fn,n, 1he he"" t, difficult. With no ftelder1-Well! Vet "Eddi••• ir�•• by with ll pmo after gan,o.

Pltclting bllndloldod llo a ti o l h er tmhell.-.rablc port o! Eddlr'• Show.

111ht was token wHhoul J:!ddic's �,.o-,,.·ledirc, dur• Ing I iame. Tu sec lr the.r� was tm1 perkinp. lho ball i• on lh< way to lhc plole ond 11 la quite clear that the blindfold 1.8 obslTuctin, the ,•lew of the baiter ond lho plllle. Check l'ag:c !S tu AM how Ed· dlr tnres when pitch .. in,r io a ba,ter blind• folded.

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To runny, Uie =I show wns nrter the gnme. It wns then, with Mike M eilicke doi ng Uio pitchi ng. lhat ••�ry dec.fsfon of lh e umpire wns I �uestione d by the pitche r Jn a lrue argumentnth-e fashion, The um­ pire and nt&ilter or ceremonies WM Eddie Feigner who <ruitc urPosely ' p was nnt.ngonJzing the pitch e r by consi stently calling dend strikes ns bnlla. The PIIYOIT being lhc slow ball that l\like blew townrd the plnte . rt look everyone by surprise causing bnttcr. cntcl1er and umpi lo tall Ince down in f enrfui nnliore i• pation. Then ofter n full min ute or fuJ.!! and preparing for the decisive pileh, the ball came across the'plnte with e,·eryone caught off balnhce.

The King and His Court are soft ball's greatest show m1d lhe onlr traveling soft bnfl gate drnw thnt is worth every cent of their guarant ee. Fn ns 1111d pla ye rs alike profit b>· seeing th e show, The flll1B unde111tand mor e abou t the gnme; the plnyeni lea rn how Urn jl'Rm c should be plnyed. When the Cou rt ploys ao!t ball you aee soft ball nt lls best.

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There wnsn't • douyt in the mi nds or the three .thowmnd men, wotnen n nd child re n thnl saw hi m, bul that Eddie Pclg ner is o soft ball pitching master. The fiMI score WIIJ sixt een • one. But thut {TIJignlRcant fact was not lhe gnme's featur e. The nctu11I gnmc went se,• en hml ng:s nnd enough she nnniganJ nnd hnrlequlrui were o n d!Jpfay to Sll lls!y the most weary o( critics. Th e t we nty-si x year old, slow talking Wns.hing. toni an, wit.h a 11wlfl pitching a rm, is a showman, And what a show h e put on. I n the !aurlh i nning Feig ner l of ted o ne or th e pltoha out of the premises, stn rlin g to third and s�oring from llrsl.

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"ln sharper atrik eout form than ' in hi s firsl appeara nce Feigner fan­ nl'<i seve nteen. Benulifuflv mi.xin� his assortment of d elicat e n nd ahn-rp curves, drops, raise ball• and chnnge of l)llce pitches, Feigner opened lhe lmll gnme with a home run and ·went on to gel thn,e si ngfel!. Kenny White gol two four. bnggl!l'1!.

And what of Pe lgn cr 7 Ho,v does h e stnck up ,ilong sicle the best hur ers i n the g ame? I used to wonlder nbout thnt myself, becnuse we have seen them nil. I nm snti&­ fied lhal dny i n, ,:nmo out, Eddie can conJisten tiy delJ\'cr lhe belier game.

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With apologies tor the e,cpre$­ •ion. th e King ond ills Court are freaks. They only hnp]l<ln once i n a lifetime i f lhal orten, As Feign. er explttfoed, you can't pick up a slnr here and lhe re ru11I have a four man team. It doei!n'I work thnt way. \Ve click because we have nil grown up together. We even went to Jlrllde school t ogeth er i n the snme tO\l'll. Traveling and living U>gether for mo nths at a stretch, year ntter year, gives each of WI n oeventh sense nbout what the oth er JJ going to do on every I pin)'

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The touring fo ur-man softball team could probably ,rt!JJ "field a team" If three playel"IJ were In­ jured. I! you think that sounds fan­ tastic, ask any ot those watchilli' fut night's perfonnance as the Klug, with OCC811lonal help from the Court, defeated the local :Budweis­ er tt'am, 12 to 3.

The King Is Eddie Feigner, who i s all hi s advance publicity notices say. The Court, his three team­ mates, are Jerry Jones, first base­ man; Mike Meilick e. short stop; and Meade Kinzer, catcher.

Feigner, touted na the greatest pitcher In the world, does the un­ b elievable. His accuracy l a about the same bliudfolded aa otherwl.,e.

He also pltehes while on his k nees, from se.:ond base, and from center lieJd. He hlls, too, aa b e demonstrated last night by knooking four balls out of Kiwnni.a Park.

Mende Kinzer, catcher, hns II thankless job. While Eddie is pitching nJI the dilferent exhibition pitches. someone hn.s to cntch them. Actually, it is Meade's thorough understanding of c.-ery pitch Eddie lhrows that mn.kes the show run so smoothly. Pitchers will long remember Kinzer's dangerous bat.

I, Tb.rowln,t 'l'lndmJil, •Ith •Ibo,. turn­ ed toward body. lloldinlt' o ball thl1 way can ho an IN JLUSE.

3. Elbow 11111 toward body, the ball bold In thlo poahian would be • straight RAISE. In Fig. J,2,! Throw ball ov,r tho Thumb.

These are only a few of Eddie Feigner's differenl hnnd deUveries. The one wind "indmlll Is only one of lhe 16 legnJ windups lhnl he uses wilh lhese grips.

2. WJlh arm rotadng 1ame u in Fi g-.

I. Thi& po,lllon of tho hand on tho boll ,.Ill OUT RAISE.

4. Throwing Windmill 1ti1J. A ftngu or two l"ucked under like shown ..i11 be anoth•r trpe of Out or OUT RAISE.

R"-"""'"""'-----.q,-�--...,..----....-<>-4 The Softballs Used in All Court Exhibitions by Eddie Feigner ln His Special Pitching Shows, Are "Harwood #100 Official SoltbnJla"

H. HARWOOD & SONS INC. Natick, Mas.�.

Riddell

BASEBALL SHOES

FAMOUS FOIi COMFORT AHO QUALITY

"The Best Ose lhe Best''

JOHN T. RIDDELL, INC. Chicago

5. Gripping a hll 1igh1 in thl.1 way and Dipping tho ,nl1l 11 the way to throw a 1plral. WHh a ,cood 1w�p and hody follow lhrough. A FAST BALI..

7. With elbow turned In and lllp alip­ p<d hock oul oC the way. BaU hold thlo wai· ia In or STRAJGllT DROP. Loola like you wlll throw a ralao Crom the hatlUJ position.

Working your hand with a rubber ball1 like boxers do, will brin.g slren1,>'th to your fingers and will me.Ke lhe ha. nd more pliable.

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a. Bolding a ball like you "'""" KolnK to flip a marble while pltchln� would re■ult in • C■1t DROP.

8. A baU held loo3oly on the 6ngor th11 1nd allpp<d oul 1moo1hly, with oodr Col­ low through la a good Change oC Paco.

Grip tlghll.Y and will lllm Into a slow drop.

�--.,........ IN BASEBALL ......

AS 1N SOFTBALL ONE TRADEMARK STANDS SUPREME

SLUGGER BATS

Used Exclusi\•ely By The King and ms Courl

Mike Mcillcke, lo<Jks like he just beat out one of those drag bunts he is famous for. Notice lhal _be hns plnnted his foot on the l,'l'Ound nnd bag.

Safety in pluylng !our mnn bnll is first rule. A sprained ankle would weaken the four-man team nnd t11x the remaining 11layetS to make up the ploy while nn injured male recovered.

Jerry Jones, mnkes II long stretch nt 6rsl bnse. Alwn)'ll n lhreal on the buses due 10 his speed on foot. Jerry mnkes base runners hustle lo beat oul ll grounder because of his nbUily lo reach out for lhe hall by knowing just where the memhere of the leam will throw nfler fielding the bnll.

The SRAOOWRALL GAME. Aclnnlly lhere are mony vel'l!lons of lhc gume without n bnJJ. The Courl feels lhnl theirs is U1e most com11lelt!, The response from the crowds that see il confin11s their belier. For In mimy or Ute cities whe.re tho court makes mori, lhon one night stllJld, the blllnnce or the crowd come in tho Inter Innings lo ge( o second look nl Ute Comedy Routine. Here, Eddie Feigner, Moster of Ceremonies nnd Norrntor is ols,1 Um11ire. WhJtc Is catching tho hnffling pitchcs thr<1w1t hy Mike Mellicke who Is not shown in picture ..Jerry Jones, lhe hntlcr. cnn'l belicve his eyes.

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Here la a slol'l' in n plotun,. Eddie Feigner hru1 pitahed •ovl!llteen gnme• In seventeen d11ya. Ho will probnbly p-ilch 1!4VonWf.n more days in n t·ow before he got. u daya rut..

However, hero he i1 tielng hia oh0<0 loco■, gettin� ready to go out and pitch d game o.nd put ori 11 ahow thnt \\�II prob11bly last HO m lnut.t,;,, jU1lt BB if it wns t.ho only �• b• hntl lo play \\ua week. 146 gnn1e1 in leu tham alx mo11lhs, over 1 ,000 gomes in 1l! _ t.he KING of yeor11, conoI,,lenUy appMrillg In evc'ry allow. This la why he ui cttUOd SOFTBALL. 'rhet'e tue n few tha\ Ill}', they ahould ooroe any, If lh•Y were naked, they would. Our ortly quo■tion la, bow mnny could l ,\ibn1 do you think render! In ao!t· bull thC'l'e 11 no way to tel1, evaryon� muel go on th.cir own opinion. \Vb.A.utve:r y-our ldeu are, we will go olona: with them.

Lns.t year we were members of the Miami Flyers, who won second plllce at the National Tournament in BridgeporI, Connecticut., losing to l3riggs, Dct1·oil, after winning the Miami Metropolitan and Southeastern Regional Champion&hlps.

We enjoyed playing nine-man ball. However, we will 11ot be pluying for Chnmpioru;hipg agnin unless we can benefit someone by joining an invitational tourney.

We have met with a few hardships nud misunderstandings. Actu111ly, we have been cut off .from the Amateur Softball Association because we piny with four men nnd tour, but as long as we can help the local softball associations, no matter whnt nntionnl nssociation they belong to, we will continue touring. And with four or five nntlonnl associations operating now, buloaging to one lhnt tries to minimize instead of expand the game is no longer necessary. Time will show that there is a need for a division between the Amateur Softball Player and the so-called amnteurs of today that acbmlly are professional or semi-pro, for the game is getting too big and teams nre getting loo strong to eve1· hope to keep their good players without paying good money. I ask you, fan, what is the difference between playing for gute percuntages or for money that you earn wotking at a job, where you get paid four times what the job is worth 7 We wish to thank Lhe Amel'ican and Life :\lagnzines for writing stories on us in "62. Also, the man>" 'J'V shows that we were guests on and the movie shorts. We hope that In the fuh11·e we will be able to do even more !or the game UJ1d for the young players that are coming up who will some­ day take their places on the sporting liolds of the world.

We wish to thank Mr. R. D. Pope, Sr. at Cypress Gardens, Floddn, a.ncl the other special photogrnphers who mude mnny picture studies.

Additional informnlion Fred C. Olsen A.S.A. Committee 130)( 681 Renton, Wasbnigton

011

us cnn be obtained from Ln1-,·y Walker E:x·S4!c. National Softball Congresll 1725 West Roosevelt Phoenix, Arizona

We wish to call your attention to the fact �that we hnve played softball for the major portion of our lives, und we ba,,e never missed a scheduled performance.

We ho,·• Gotl to tbnnk for bringing uo, well and stroni;, through lhe mfin)' u•r• tbnt we ploy during o ••..on. Our only prnycr ls thol He will bleu you In !Uc u• Efo has pn,mlaed to do, if wo oak, ond lhnl yuu will find • pl•<• in ma He"'•enly Eromo when tbls llCJl of slrife nnd trinl Is ended by His coming og,tln, 13e rend;.

The statements nnd pictures in this book were assembled by Eddie Feigner. We have mude mnny friends through playing softball aod we sincerely hope our show has been a be.Ip nud joy, rather than a stumbling block. ln memoi·y of n good friend, Jet ua gay whnt he always said, "If you can't piny n sport, be one."

l\lECLICKE, ON A Nu'lE-.MAN TEAM, AFTER PLATING ON A FOUR-MAi'l TEAM CD HEllltKE ON �MORT STOP

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WHITE

This shows II bird's e�•e 1•iew of lhe courl in position ,vhen Eddie 11ilches blindfolded. J\Jlke has mo,•ed In from short slop 10 prolecl U!e pitcher from line dr· ivcs and ncl for him when fielding hunts imd catching the ball when thrown hnck f-tom lhe culchcr. This p11rl of lhe show em­ ploys no tricks. Everything is done Crom dead reckoning.

Additional copies of this book and info1mation concerning bookings can be obtained Irom:

THE KING AND HIS COURT Box 835

College Place, Wnshington, USA Please enclose 30c per copy to cover mailing cost of books.