When Softball was King PODCAST
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Brandon is a proud 2004 graduate of the University of Alabama where he worked with the Tide softball program. His coaching career includes college and professional stops. He is currently the assistant softball coach at Rutgers. In 2001, he toured Asia with the Court and was the team’s featured pitcher. Duncan also pitched for the Spartanburg Stars from 1996-2004, helping the team to three NSA World Series appearances. Brandon helped close out the Court during the summer of 2011.
Ron was drafted out of high school by the Toronto Blue Jays. His 10 year baseball career included 7 years with the Blue Jays, 1 year with the Brewers, one year with the Pirates and one year with the Long Island Ducks in the Independent Atlantic League. Ron played 2 years with the Court, including the last games during the summer of 2011. Ron hit the last home run for the Court in Walla Walla Washington on August 27, 2011 as we closed out 65 years of barnstorming.
David is the founder of the Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball Team (WWAST) and served as the teams Head Coach, General Manager and CEO in the years 2011 to 2015. Mr. Van Sleet is now the creator and General Manager of the nationally known highly competitive amputee baseball tournament team the Louisville Slugger Warriors. A team made up of active-duty soldiers, Veterans and Wounded Warriors who have suffered physical and invisible wounds while serving in the military and the recent wars plus other amputees playing baseball in college.
Bobby Smith is a great pitching coach whose primary emphasis is deceptive pitch movement. He has the unique ability to quickly recognize the source of a pitching execution error and provide specific instruction that an athlete can apply immediately to obtain positive results. Bobby knows both how to pitch and how to teach others to do so as well. Bobby manages the Texas Stars, a championship men’s fastpitch team that competes yearly in the sport. His most famous pupil, Cat Osterman had a record breaking career at the University of Texas, and then as a standout Olympian and professional player in the NPF. Bobby is a great ambassador for the sport, honored and respected with the men’s and women’s game.
As the heart, soul and engine behind the Justin’s World of Softball website, Justin McLeod has turned a personal passion into a thriving media enterprise. His site is one of the true go-to destinations for news about Division I softball – during the season his day is spent churning through the facts, figures and first-hand knowledge he pulls in from multiple sources. The site averages 55,000 unique views monthly, a number that spikes up significantly during the NCAA season and when coaching-change news is percolating. Based in northeast Louisiana, McLeod can hop in his car on a given morning and be at sites in six different states before first pitch. He’s restless, with a deep well of contacts and informed opinions that make him a powerful and relevant voice in the ever-intriguing world of fastpitch that expands outside of NCAA developments.
Shawn Krest is a sportswriter for ACCSports.com and the ACC Sports Journal. His work has appeared on CBSSports.com, ESPN.com, The Sporting News, MLB.com and the official game programs for the MLB All Start Game and League Championship Series. He has been honored by the USBWA, PFWA and BWAA in their annual writing contests. Every Friday, Shawn appears on the David Glenn Show, and he makes regular appearances on stations in New York, South Carolina, Virginia and Florida. He is the co-author of the Football Outsiders’ 2006 Pro Football Prospectus. Shawn lives in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Darrick Brown has served as Olivet College’s head softball coach for three years. His entire coaching career spans more than 26 years to include time leading softball, baseball and hockey teams. Coach Brown’s softball achievements include one professional world championship with the Chicago Bandits and six college conference championships, and these accolades have landed him as a nationally known hitting and pitching instructor. He has traveled to Hawaii, North Carolina, California, Tennessee, Kentucky, and extensively throughout the Midwest and Michigan to teach clinics.
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Scott Gorman has been providing hope and redemption for those suffering from Substance and Alcohol Use Disorders for over two decades. Scott was a pioneer in the Recovery Coach movement serving the television, film, and music industries. Scott is a leading interventionist and mentors Recovery Coaches around the country. Scott is also Chief Advocate and Relationship Manager for WEconnect Health, a technology platform which provides a digital solution for addiction recovery aftercare in the palm of your hand. Scott was formerly the Independent Interventionist and Addictions Specialist Consultant for the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) from 2011-2016. Scott was a consultant to the National Association of Drug Court Professionals under CEO West Huddleston in 2011. Scott was the Chief Aide to the Owner/CEO of The Indianapolis Colts (NFL) from 2002-2010. Scott played Professional Fast Pitch Softball for the World Famous 4-Man team The King and His Court.
Coach Bastian’s professional coaching experience spans 25 years internationally as well as in the United States, encompassing all levels of softball. His experience includes having served as the Head Coach of the Chinese National Softball Team from 2005-2008, USA National Team coaching staff member from 2000-2005, assistant coach for the 2003 USA Softball Junior World Championship Team, as well as having coached in the WPSL and colleges throughout the United States. He has also served as a private instructor to members of the USA Olympic Team. Additionally, Coach Bastian has acted as a director and instructor of numerous international, national, and collegiate camps. His many years of international and domestic clinical presentation experience includes having been a featured speaker at many International Softball Federation (ISF) clinics around the world, as well as well as having been a featured speaker at the 1996 NFCA Coaches Convention, college camps, and numerous softball clinics held throughout the United States. Presently, Coach Bastian owns and operates The Fastpitch School, and has developed Team TFS club franchises, as well as Team TFS International. Coach Bastian also formed the Chinese Softball Foundation, a non-profit organization, which aids Chinese softball players as well as fosters international softball development.
Mark has punted a football over 80 yards and was invited to play for the New York Yankees baseball club. Marks great arm once threw a man out at home while leaning off-balance with his back against the center field fence! He is now a high-school teacher in California.
Wes joined the court as a part time player in 2001 and has toured with the team playing shortstop, first base and catcher. Wes is very active in the community.and supports many charities. By trade he is a substance abuse counselor and carries a strong message against drugs to the youth.
An ex-Dodger and Red Sox, pitcher, Doug first met Eddie on a golf course. Doug could drive a golf ball 350 yards. Eddie encouraged him to join the team as a catcher. He hit 79 home runs in four months with the court.
Floyd is one of five left-handers who has played on The Court. He played Softball at Virginia Tech. and now teaches school in California.
John hit 190 home runs for The Court in 1980. The Court’s third ex-major leaguer. John played baseball for Montreal, Houston, and the Philadelphia Phillies. He learned to hit a softball playing for the Texas State Amateur Softball Champions, the Houston Bombers.
Dave played centerfield for the University of North Carolina when they finished 3rd in the 1978 College World Series. He is now the head baseball coach and athletic director at Flager College, St. Augustine, Florida.
Wayne hit well against the King during a game in Orlando, FL. and was invited to join the team when Bill Kehrer had to return home. A master mechanic who loves cars, McGill retired when he discovered he had a blind spot when hitting an in-raise.
Jon joined the King and His Court in 2007. He was an all-conference center fielder at UC Irvine where he posted a .388 batting average. He attended Notre Dame High School is Sherman Oaks, CA where he not only lettered in baseball but is the all-time career leader is goals scored in water polo.
Scott Gorman began his KHC career in 1995. “Traveling the country with Eddie, Rich and Gary was an amazing, life changing experience. Scott put on the red, white and blue for the first time in Winnemucca, Nevada is forever etched in my memory. God enabled me to live my dream!”. After his KHC career, Scott went on to work with athletes, actors and musicians as a sobriety coach. Scott resides in Zionsville, IN with his wife Courtney and son Grey.
Pitched for the Hollywood All Stars before joining the Court. Jack is an avid softball player. He has pitched in 12 National Championship Tournaments and was named a 1st Team All American in 1988. He has posted 44 no-hit games, including a perfect game in league play. Jack served in the U.S. Army. Knight appeared on Broadway in “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie” and in musical revivals. He relocated to California in 1972. In television, he had a recurring role on “Cheers”, starred in “Lotsa Luck”, was a regular on “James at 16” and the variety shows of Garry Moore, Susan Anton and Peter Marshall. He twice guested on the “Tonight Show”. He appeared in “JAG”, “NYPD Blue”, “Spin City”, “All That” and “Nick Cannon” on Nickelodeon. In films, Jack appeared as a detective in “L.A. Confidential”, as an investigating patrolman in “Rosemary’s Baby”, an NYPD detective in “The Sicilian Clan”, and as Sheriff Wyatt in “The Class of 1999 II”, and as a railroad worker in Stephen Spielberg film “Catch Me If You Can”. Off-screen.
Charlie’s career spanned over 40 years as a men’s major fastpitch player. Charlie started with the Court booking games throughout the country and filling in as needed as a player. Charlie helped the Court jump into the 21 century with their social media presence and the website. Charlie is the Head Softball Coach at William Peace University in Raleigh NC for the past 21 years. He has served on the NCAA National Softball Committee, a member of the NFCA and was the head coach of USA Collegiate team that competed a in Spain and France during the summer of 2006. He helped retire the ‘Court” after Eddie’s death in 2007 through the final tour in 2011.
Ron hit the most home runs for the White Sox farm team in the minors. He gave up the majors to join the Court and went on to play for “local 57” team out of Providence, R.I. The redhead could sing like Marty Robins and entertained along the tour for several seasons- a truly funny and talented man.
What was to one day become The King And His Court all began in 1946 when Eddie Feigner, an energetic strong-armed young man who had excelled as a softball pitcher before the war and in the Marines, was home again buzzing his fast ball by home town batters.
There was one thing about Feigner, he had a world of confidence in himself and his ability to pitch a softball. Whenever anyone hurled a challenge at this lad in his early 20’s, he had an immediate taker.
Playing in an early spring league, Feigner was pitching for a local team of 9 men in a game in Pendleton, Oregon. Eddie’s team won the game by a whopping score, but afterwards his skill as a “hot shot” softball pitcher was challenged. This was too much for the “King” who brazenly announced, “I would play you with only my catcher but you would walk us both.” The other team’s manager said, “OK, you bring your catcher, shortstop, and first baseman down here and we will play you.” On the way back home, the four wondered what they should do to get ready.
Because it was early spring and the local ball parks were unavailable to practice on, the 4 men requested permission to play some of the teams inside the Washington State Prison. The request was granted. With high walls as a backdrop, and the curious inmates looking on, The Four-Man Softball Team came into being. That same week, the name “The King and His Court” was chosen.
A week later 400 fans were on hand to view the unpublicized, initial 4 versus 9 game. Feigner rose to the occasion. In 7 innings, he pitched a perfect game and struck out 19 batters. One ball was hit to the shortstop, and one to the first baseman. The final score was 7-0 in favor of the Court.
The players of the opposition team deserve much praise. Sometimes during our games they are subjected to a little of what is called “horseplay.” The intention is never to make a player look bad. After all, when a man offers his services to play, we have nothing but respect for him.
Eddie passed away on February 9, 2007.