Fastpitch Softball

[Clammer]

that field was a old dump --=== made just for them /// that was right at the bottom of my street // as kids it was awesome to go the games under the lights // your right //some of those guys could put the ball out of a major league field / // & then there was the traveling team of four == name ??? king of the courts ???//

[Saltheart]

"King and his court"/ King was the pitcher nobody could hit

[rexhamer]

The "King" is Eddie Feigner. Although it appears that the King himself doesn't play any more, the "Court" is still touring.

http://www.kingandhiscourt.com/

I never got to see them in person, but have a tape of an ESPN special from about five years ago. Feigner had a great line that means more to me as I get older. In the special he was asked if he still threw as hard as he used to. I'm guessing he was in his late sixties at the time, he answered, "I throw as hard as I always have, the ball just doesn't go as fast!"

[Mike P]

You Rhody guys ever go down to Engineer's Field in Fox Point to watch Local 57 when you were kids?

[Saltheart]

Yep , couple of posts up in this thread Clammer asked the same question. That was big time in those days.

My Father used to tell me that back in the 1920's and 30's that the textile mill teams were as close to professional as you could get in RI (hardball) . Mill workers got treated special if they were good and played for their mill's team.

[Mike P]

Yup. My dad played for Kennecott Copper back in the 40s, after the war. He was a catcher but he also had a pretty good windmill pitch. He told me that a .200 average in fast-pitch was like a ,400 average in baseball. There was a pitcher for Local 57 who threw 4-5 perfect games a season.

They had the ASA AA slo-pitch nationals at Engineers Field one year. Some textile mill from North Carolina played the Nassau County (Long Island) Police Department in a best 2 of 3 series. Nassau County had a catcher (I can still remember the name) by the name of Evilsizer, and I never saw a guy whose name fit so well. Had to be about 350 lbs and none of it was fat.

[Clammer]

Mike & Mike --I was down there every night that there was a game //Jack White was the owner // I was too stupid at the time to realize that if he was at the field & it wasn,t game night //he had a girl upstairs ////
I saw the King & his court a few times .there was also a women,s team of around 5 or 6 players that smoked them also .....
Ted Williams was down there every year for the JimmY Fund ....

that was fun time WWWWWWWWWAAAAAAAAAAYYYYyyyy back then

[Bedford Blues]

Hi Rex i played in the Cambidge league for Kappy,s Fresh Pond.
Our biggest rival was The Fire Dept team which had 2 excellent pitchers
back in the mid 80's.
Pitched and played infield. Learned a variety of pitchers from our coach
(former pitcher) including a "spinner" or Curveball .
Played till i was 40 + and also had the knee surgery to end things.

[rexhamer]

Hi Bedford - was George Pappas a coach or player on that Kappy's team? I played on a team he coached in the late 90's - as a matter of fact, the last team I played on before the knee operations! Spent some time trying to teach his son to pitch.

Otherwise, over 25 years I played for Russell II, MVP Sports, Flaherty Associates and Paddy's. In Belmont it was Waverly VFW, Port Oil, Orchard Park Grille and World Class. Although this may make me appear to be a sought-after free agent, mostly I moved on because a team folded.

In both cities, I played for other teams as a pick-up for weekend tournaments. It's funny you mentioned the "spinner". Over the years I picked the brains (or what was left of them!) of many an old-timer to get pitching hints. Always amazed me how many different grips and deliveries there were. I ended up focusing on the basics - fastball (drop), riser and changeup. I wish I had had the oportunity to start at a younger age.

Great memories!

[NIB]

When my dad was in the Navy he played on a team that played the King An his Court.He would always recant the story.something like a five man team.the King was wild throwin behind his back so fast they could not detect it.