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As reported by the Associated Press: Eddie Feigner, the hard-throwing softball showman who barnstormed for more than 50 years with his "The King and His Court" four-man team, died Friday. He was 81.

Feigner, the former Marine known for his trademark crewcut and bulging right arm, died in Huntsville, Ala., from a respiratory ailment related to dementia, wife Anne Marie Feigner said Friday night. A stroke in 2000 -- a day after he threw out the first pitch before the women's softball competition in the Sydney Olympics -- ended his playing career at age 75. He left the team for medical reasons last summer and lived in Trenton, Tenn., for the last several years until recently moving to Huntsville.

With a fastball once clocked at 104 mph, Feigner threw 930 no-hitters and 238 perfect games and struck out 141,517 batters while playing more than 10,000 games. He was inducted into the National Senior Softball Hall of Fame in 2000.

Feigner not only pitched from the standard mound, 46 feet from home plate, but also from second base, behind his back, on his knees, between his legs, from center field and blindfolded. In a nationally televised exhibition against major-leaguers at Dodger Stadium in 1964, he struck out Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, Maury Wills, Harmon Killebrew, Roberto Clemente and Brooks Robinson in order.

(Another great sports tip from guest blog[.com|http://www.baseballtrainingsecrets.com/])+

It's January and the season is right around the corner. Some leagues are already holding sign ups. It's time to knock the rust off and get ready for the coming baseball season.

So what should the ballplayer be doing this time of year?

1.     You should perform some general conditioning work. This can be done in the form of a structured workout or can be playing other sports such as basketball or flag football.

2.     Get Your Arm In Shape. Start throwing now. It only has to be a few throws a day, but get started asap. The best way to get your arm in shape is doing so over time, not just before the season starts.

3.     Use The Tee. All great swings start with proper tee work. For those in cold weather states a tee station can be constructed in the garage or basement. Work on the tee now will ensure you enter the season with perfect swing mechanics.

4.    Have fun. Even in the off-season baseball should be fun. Make practice enjoyable, rewarding and memorable by being positive, building self-confidence and improving skill set.

(Jon Doyle is a former NCAA All-American baseball player who now works as a strength and conditioning specialist. For more tips check out .com)

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I love the Olympics. I love the spirit and pride that comes with international competition in such a wide range of sports. When I think of Olympic sports, track and field, swimming, skiing, and skating come to mind. Video games do not.

Ted Owen, head of the Global Gaming League, wants to see that changed. He���s pushing a campaign to get video games introduced as a demonstration during the 2008 Olympics. He's so serious about the idea that he has entered into talks with the Chinese government about having video games included during the Beijing Olympics.

Owen told CNN, " People aren't watching the Olympics as much anymore. You need to bring younger viewers back if you want to keep making money. To do that, you need to embrace non-traditional sports. They did it with snowboarding - and look how the popularity of that has surged in the Games. Video games deserve to be seen as a non-traditional sport...They would bring something to the Games that that age group engages in and everyone understands."

The idea sounds a little crazy, especially since baseball and fastpitch softball will get the Olympic boot after 2008. A few questions came to mind:

Visit the fastpitch softball or baseball boards if you have something to say about this topic!

(Photo provided by Bongarts, taken by Alexander Hassenstein)

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  Tough day behind the plate!    Originally uploaded by Active.com Team Sports. </span></div>

The latest eteamz Snapshotz winner: Just another great play at the plate to get her out!

Laura Berg is a three-time Olympian and USA Softball mainstay since 1996. We sat down with her to get her thoughts on what it���s like to be an Olympian and the U.S. National Team���s expectations for the World Cup of Softball II this week in Oklahoma City.

Let���s start with the tough question first. Where do you keep your three Olympic gold medals?

In a safety deposit box. (Laughs)

Can you tell us a little bit about the Olympic experience?

It���s kind of hard to put into words. It���s so exciting and an honor to represent the U.S and it���s just something I consider myself lucky to be a part of. When you walk out on the field and see the crowd cheering for you���it���s really something else.

What���s one thing about the Olympic experience that would surprise most people?

The great McDonald���s diet we eat in the village.

You���ve been called the ���best centerfielder in the game.��� Is there anybody you modeled your game on when you were coming up the national ranks?

Well I don���t know if you can say that anymore. There are some really great young centerfielders like Caitlin Lowe and others who���ve come up recently. I���d have to say players like Jim Edmonds and Willie Mays were players I tried to model my game after.

Has your work as an assistant coach for the Fresno State Bulldogs helped improve you as a player?

Definitely. It���s tough to sit and watch. A lot of times I���ll see a play and put myself in that situation and see what I can do differently. You can learn a lot in this game just by watching.

How did you first get involved in softball?

When I was a kid my parents signed me and my twin sister Randi up for little league. I was the quiet twin and pretty much copied what my sister did. That led to ���Little Miss��� and ���Bobby Sox��� and finally to the U.S. National team.

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For the rest of this interview check out the[ Active World Cup of Softball Special Section|http://active.typepad.com/usasoftball/2006/07/intervie

Tucson, Ariz. ��� Backed by a grand slam from Jessica Mendoza and a no-hitter by Cat Osterman, the 2006 USA Women���s Softball Team completed their four-game sweep of NPF Arizona Heat tonight in Tucson, Ariz. The team hit at a .368 clip during the series with seven players registering five or more hits.

In the second inning, one ball away from a walk, Jenny Topping (Whittier, Calif.) took a Leslie Wolfe offering and ripped it over centerfield to put Team USA on the board. Osterman (Houston, Texas) started in the circle, throwing a complete game with 12 strikeouts, no hits and one walk.

With a single, Natasha Watley (Irvine, Calif.) started a scoring drive that would end with Team USA posting five runs on the board in the fifth. Caitlin Lowe (Tustin, Calif.) followed Watley with another single, loading up the bases. On the first pitch, Mendoza (Camarillo, Calif.), took it deep over center field to clear the bases for the team���s first grand slam of the season.

Team USA again put up five runs in the sixth, off of six hits. Topping added another RBI with a single while Amanda Freed (Cypress, Calif.) put up two RBI with a single to center field.

Team USA will play in one more exhibition series on July 10 in Irvine, Calif., against the World University Games team before heading to Oklahoma City, Okla., where they will compete in the II World Cup of Softball July 13-17.

Click here for box scores on the exhibition series vs. NPF Arizona Heat www.usasoftball.com. Also check out our World Cup of Softball sp

USA Softball has announced the roster for its 2006 Women's National Team.

The team will now prepare for the second annual World Cup of Softball in Oklahoma City, July 13-17 and then travel to Beijing, China for the ISF Women���s World Championships.

The roster has seventeen players and includes eleven members from the 2004 Olympic team. Be sure to check out the Active.com [World Cup of Softball special section|http://active.typepad.com/

(Another great sports tip from guest blogger Jon Doyle of www.baseballtrainingsecrets.com)

There is no doubt that you have heard many coaches, and even more quotes by pro ball players, talk about how important the mental aspect is to the game of baseball.

Then why isn't mental training taught more by coaches?

I have no idea. Maybe you can offer a suggestion.

I will let you in on an inside &quot;secret&quot; that will enable you to take your game to the next level. A secret so powerful that you will have the ability to put your body on auto-pilot and let your instincts take over...almost at will!

What is this secret?...Visualization.

Yeah I know you have heard the word thrown around many times, but did anyone tell you how to apply it? Probably not.

Here is a simple three- step solution so you can become a visualization master.

1. Close you eyes and picture in your head the best swing you ever took. The best pitch you ever threw. The best play you ever made. It does not matter. Just see that perfect play and &quot;watch&quot; it over and over in your head.

Do this with as much detail as possible. The smell, the sky, the crowd, the catcher pounding his glove. You get the idea. As much detail as possible.

2. Ok now that you have that perfect play in mind take it into the on deck circle, the pitcher's mound or the field. You will want to practice this as much as possible. The more you do it the better you get (as do the results!) If you do not feel comfortable using the visualization techniques in a game just yet, work on them in practice or exibition games.

Now just take that perfect play and &quot;plug in&quot; the pitcher or batter and the current surroundings. See yourself take that perfect swing. Feel yourself launch that perfect fastball on the black.

See it over and over. When you are good you will be able to do this in split seconds. I used to do it between every pitch! And I teach my students to do the same.

3. Let your body take over! Your body knows what to do considering all of the practice time you put in. It is the mind that gets in the way. Not any more!

It's really that simple once you master this awesome technique. Do yourself and give it a try. You will certainly thank me.

Good luck!

+(Jon Doyle is a former NCAA All-American baseball player who now works as a strength and conditioning specialist. For more tips check out [www.baseballtrainingsecrets.com|http://www.baseballtrainingsecre