"I got to be part of something where they watch you tie your shoelaces," Hoppe said of the attention the Court occasionally received. At his peak, Mr. Feigner threw a softball harder than any. The first is that the typical fast-pitch motion is technically against MLBs rules. Im now 66 years old. They played in Frederick at least once. A story is told of the time he stood in right field at Yankee Stadium and fired an underhand fastball over home plate. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. I was lucky enough to be invited to watch and film. He said: Im a pipsqueak because Im caught in a nothing game. He struck out Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, Brooks Robinson, Harmon Killebrew and Roberto Clemente consecutively. For Hoppe, it all started in 1961 when he was a junior in high school and saw Feigner and his team play in Bayonne. His underhand fastball was once timed at 104 mphsome accounts had it clocked at 114 mph. The Marlins are about to enter their final month at their home stadium, which has had seven official names (if you count minor changes from Park to Stadium and from Dolphin to Dolphins), none of them ever spoken in endearing terms. And the guy blinks and says, `Right.' Target Field, Minneapolis: 91 17. Due to a planned power outage on Friday, 1/14, between 8am-1pm PST, some services may be impacted. Florida starter Ricky Nolasco had an atrocious game Wednesday when he allowed 11 runs in three innings (3 IP, 11 H, 11 R, 11 ER, 1 BB, 2 K). (And don't rule out the Rays grabbing this year's wild card spot yet.) "YEAH, THAT'S why I'm gonna steal," retorts Booth, to the delight of the crowd. (R.J. Oriez/Stars and Stripes). Not enough people died, I guess. Barnstorming softball faded into the Americana of wooden roller coasters and hula hoops. The players Feigner chose for his team were people he'd known since fourth grade. Rogers Centre, Toronto: 75 I also fear Buck Showalter's head would probably explode if a player showed up looking like this. Thats roughly what Finch, Fernandez, and Osterman did these two weeks except they didnt allow as many hits. "We can't compete with modern entertainment," Hoppe said. More Impressively, He Even Made a Trip to Toledo Seem Worthwhile: Props to Tigers veteran Brandon Inge, who accepted a demotion to the minors in mid-July and then returned with a home run in his first at-bat back with Detroit on Saturday. In an era where guys refuse $100 million because it's disrespectful, this is about guys who carried their own bags, washed their own laundry -- and at a very steep price tag to their families. 15. Eddie Feigner: King and His Court - YouTube 0:00 / 29:30 Eddie Feigner: King and His Court allendale101 5.05K subscribers 546K views 4 years ago Video on the story of the famed. In softball, there are no famous hitters, only famous pitchers. He took her last name and the name Eddie from a friend. His fastball pitch was clocked at over 104 miles an hour. Meanwhile, as ESPN colleague Doug Kern points out, the last four Rays home games drew just 61,897. I remember seeing them in commericals as a kid, pretty sure it was Bud or Lite Beer commericals. Individuals inducted into the Shrine of the Eternals must have altered how the world views the game of baseball. The King and His Court got its start the way so many wonderful sagas begin -- in a bar. The last 100 games of the King and his Court. 4. Visit the Fastpitch TV Show's website at Fastpitch.TV, You can find our softball iPhone App at FastpitchApps.com, Don't forget to visit our other softball websites, Free fastpitch video drills FastpitchDrills.com, A search engine for softball - FastpitchSearch.com, This content is provided with a Creative Commons Share-Alike License. 2005-2023 CBS INTERACTIVE ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. : 86 In the 1940s, when countless small towns had softball leagues, the King and His Court was one among many barnstormers. The Yankees rewarded the biggest star in the their history with a 30 percent paycut. 11. But the 65-year tour of duty ends Saturday night in Feigner's hometown of Walla Walla, Wash., playing a team that includes former major leaguer Jeff Cirillo, a two-time All-Star and five-time .300 hitter. Home; About Us; Tanita Scale; Workshops; Testimonials; Recipes; the king and his court fastpitch softball This Amateur Softball Association (ASA) had forbidden its members to play against Eddie Feigner and his team. Jeff, thanks. Progressive Field, Cleveland: 82 "The day of the barnstormer is buried this Saturday.". Feigner knew he was the only one of his kind in the history of the world. Please enable JavaScript to experience Vimeo in all of its glory. Bayonne native Rich Hoppe, a member of the fast-pitch softball team the King and His Court, on the diamond at Memorial Park in Linden last week. But Hoppe's story is about more than just trick pitches and entertaining a crowd. "Now every pitcher has to be a big, strong pitcher. Mr. Feigner faced a lineup of six major leaguers (5 of whom were later inducted in the Baseball Hall of Fame). Hyperextending his knee in a gopher hole in 1972 didn't help; it prevents him to this day from getting top speed on his fastball. During a 1967 exhibition game at Dodger Stadium, Eddie Feigner faced a lineup of six big leaguers. Nice guys, huh? Good luck, Jeff. He was more than a player; he was a showman. We're going to go up to the birthplace and bring it on home.". Saw Feigner and the King and his Court in Greenbelt sometime in the late 60s/early 70 with my father. Coors Field, Denver: 87 HE HAS carried over the years more than 30 players at one time or another in his troupe, including three former major leaguers. Hoppe remembers playing in 100-degree heat in Tacoma, Wash., one day and in sub-zero cold the next day in Barrow, Alaska. Feigner has performed for U.S. troops during the Berlin Airlift, pitched in full view of Soviet guardsmen in Red Square, pitched against a Cuban team in 1952, featuring a hot major-league prospect, Fidel Castro, who would shun baseball and lead his country through a revolution and retain power 37 years later. 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His life would then come crashing down in 1988, when his brother Robert died of AIDS. ", "If you did one tour with the Court, you've been tested. Eddie Feigner in 1983. Eddie Feigner winds up during a game at Camp Zama, Japan, in May, 1989. It took me years to talk about it," Hoppe said. "Haven't seen you in 15 years, Eddie. Founded in 1946 by Hoppe's mentor, "The King" Eddie Feigner, the King and His Court travels the country and globe playing exhibition games, with proceeds often going to charity. They had also been known for donating considerable amounts of ticket profits to charity.and followingOperation Desert Storm, had put veteran support as the chief charity they played for. I saw the King and his Court in Jasper, Alabama in the early 1960s. Sign up to receive a daily email of today's top military news stories from Stars and Stripes and top news outlets Oh yeah, Eisenhower Park. She survives him, as do his son Eddie Jr.; his daughters Shirley, Carol and Debbie; nine grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. It was a mismatch, Feigner said in an interview with a publication of the Loma Linda University Adventist Health Science Center. In 2000, in their six games against China, Japan, and Australiaarguably the Americans toughest competitionthe U.S. team scored only six runs. Of course, the Stones never played my hometown or the hundreds of other towns that are even smaller. In 1967, he faced, in order, Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, Brooks Robinson, Maury Wills, Harmon Killebrew and Roberto Clemente. 18. 3. "I told ASA (Amateur Softball Association) it was a great game at 43 feet — you just killed a great game. Feigner, catcher Gary West, first baseman Dave Booth and shortstop Gary Van Prooyen mug it up with true zest. 1983 The King and His Court ~ 4-Man Softball Team ~ Signed Autographed Program. They endured enough 30-hour rides between cities that Feigner referred to a 10-hour ride as "just down the road apiece. Power your marketing strategy with perfectly branded videos to drive better ROI. The toughest thing in sports is to hit a round ball with a round bat when the round ball is thrown underhand from 40 feet away. "I just wanted to return the van keys to Walla Walla where it all came out of," said Rich Hoppe, who has been pitching with the Court for decades. He stands blindfolded, some 40 feet from home plate, gleefully hurling pitch after pitch at weary batters as fans in Linden's Memorial Park cheer on the peculiar feat. They were awesome. It will end where it should. I was about 10 years old, and they asked me to be bat boy. He and a changing supporting cast that included only a catcher, first baseman and shortstop eventually logged more than 4 million miles, covering 50 states and more than 100 countries to play in front of 200 million people. Eddie Feigner was a crowd pleasing softball pitcher and showman who toured the world for 55 years as the King and His Court. Feb. 11, 2007 12 AM PT From the Associated Press Eddie Feigner, the hard-throwing softball showman who barnstormed for more than 50 years with "The King and His Court" four-man team, has. "Almost all the good pitchers the last 20 years came from Canada or New Zealand; that kept ASA alive the last 10 or 15 years. All rights reserved (About Us). Poster promoting Eddie Feigner's "King and His Court.". As the team ate and slept in their station wagon, they discovered something in El Paso, TX. The manager's team was a prison team made of convicts. Now they're all in their 40s. The terminology used to describe pitches in fast-pitch softballrise ball, drop curve, in-shootis essentially the same as that used by baseball pitchers a century ago. He often told people it was a good feeling to know he was unique. Eddie Feigner was a crowd pleasing softball pitcher and showman who toured the world for 55 years as the King and His Court. Founded in 1946 by Hoppe's mentor, "The King" Eddie Feigner, the. ), Fernandez, perhaps the greatest softball pitcher ever, faced major league all-star David Justice after the 1996 Olympics and struck him out on three pitches. The King and His court is an extremely entertaining show to go watch! As one batter put it, I was waiting for a pitch, heard a noise, watched the catcher throw the ball back. "And nobody in their right mind would put slowpitch in the Olympics.". Tropicana Field, Tampa Bay: 68. Learn about Eddie and the Court, who first brought fastpitch to TV and mainstream America from the people who lived. Many writers and others in the sports world have considered Eddie Feigner to be the best softball pitcher the sport has ever known. Any organization they thought would sponsor a softball game got a letter from them. Into that steel trap memory delves Feigner, 65, a fastpitch softball trouper for some 44 years. Into that steel trap memory delves Feigner, 65, a fastpitch softball trouper for some 44 years. Feigner claimed nearly 10,000 victories, 141,000 strikeouts and almost 1,000 no-hitters. The greatest team that ever stepped onto a diamond is playing its last game this weekend. Though the Americans did much better this time around with 51 runs in nine games, when great players face off, softball is clearly a pitchers game. The Ballpark in Arlington, Texas: 77 Fastpitch.TV - A few weeks ago the King And His Court came to the Dallas area. He was part of more than 56 foreign tours. Hell, if you live anywhere, get to Walla Walla. CAMP ZAMA, Japan — The guest shook the strong, firm right hand, gazed into the ruddy face, stared for a moment at the graying, thinning trademark flattop crew cut. The King and His court is an extremely entertaining show to go watch! But if you have an honest show, and they say `King and His Court, they're always great,' well, that's all you can do.". Thus, is Feigner, with a year or two left in his own career, the last of the great fastpitch showmen? Feigner, who at the end made a tiny fraction of the fabulous salaries of baseball players, never slowed down. Bueller? Eddie had a catcher, a !B and a SS. He was 81 years old. Register Log in Dec 30, 2021 #1 Hillhouse Aug 21, 2008 2,053 113 Why You've Never Heard of the Best Athlete Ever Dec 30, 2021 #2 Rolling Hard Apr 20, 2018 3,842 113 SoCal Sponsored. They keep the batters guessing with rise balls, drop balls, curves, and in-shoots. 2023 Stars and Stripes. Hoppe is a natural lefty who lost full use of the arm in Vietnam and taught himself how to pitch right-handed. Too dumb to quit, he growled. Jim Caple is a senior writer for ESPN.com. If you have a few young girls/guys looking to get into baseball or softball then taking them to one of these games would be a great event for the whole family! Too bad we didn't have today's technology back then. "I know what I am, a recovering addict," he said. As the games rules were liberalized, the names for the pitches eventually changed. People still want to see Williams bat, Palmer golf; there's the charisma there. Please visit our sponsor Online Fastpitch Softball Superstore "After my brother died and that 100 days that followed, I literally had lost everything," Hoppe said. SoftballJunk.com is a great resource to find the perfect fastpitch softball bat just for you!. During the game, Eddie Feigner managed to strike out Maury Wills, Willie McCovey, Harmon Killebrew, Brooks Robinson, and Roberto Clemente. Which brings up an interesting question: When was the last time the starting pitcher appeared in box scores on consecutive days with no runs allowed in either game? Build a site and generate income from purchases, subscriptions, and courses. Cleveland's Chris Perez hit two batters, walked another and allowed an unearned run Monday (1 IP 0 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, 2 HBP) while Atlanta Jair Jurrjens pitched 6 1/3 scoreless innings despite allowing 13 baserunners (6 1/3 IP, 8 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 5 BB, 1 K). This is an organization dedicated to promoting baseball as a way to appreciate American culture and art. He couldn't be a showman and entertainer as well as an athlete if he played professional sports. "In the last 10 to 15 years, it's never been considered a game as such.". It just doesn't go as fast,' " Feigner says. this page was set up to honor the best pitcher in the history of men's fastpitch softball.Eddie was the "King" in his own right.With a list of achievements that will never be topped.In his. Free returns. So do yourself a favor this weekend. Feel free to use this content, in whole or in part, in any manner you like so long as you give credit to Gary leland, Fastpitch.TV and link to fastpitch.tv. Larry Rankin from Oklahoma on April 26, 2018: I'd heard of this guy before, but you certainly gave me a great deal more insight into it. Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum: 74 He is a member of theBaseball Reliquary. It's always been my Yankee Stadium. (Theyre currently on a 79-game winning streak.) 23K 2.9K comments Though it would be nice if Florida ownership could have found the money to keep the out of town scoreboard. the guest nearly shrieked. Many of them were major league players. 13. I would have loved to have bee able to have a conversation with him. But softball can still teach us something about baseball history. "I'll see a batter come up and, remember something about his stance or something and say, `El Paso, '74, right?' This week I show you about 10 minutes of the event. As Feigner recently observed, In fast-pitch softball, you have to swing four or five inches above the ball or four or five inches below the ball. You are very lucky to have had such a special grandfather. Required fields are marked *, Fast Pitch Softball 1988 Special Tribute To Eddie Feigner The King And His Court, There are heroes and then there are HEROES.and fast pitch softball pitcher Eddie. 6. And oh yeah, the Court of 4 won the game! Eddie Feigner pitched a perfect game. ". A world traveler is he. I never saw him and his court, but I can imagine it was quite an experience. gary leland. 1. But the week's most interesting line was by Philadelphia's Roy Oswalt, who officially started games on consecutive days and didn't allow a run in either. Which isnt to say there arent great hittersof course there are. The Arena Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers to this website may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. It must be fun facing a blindfolded pitcher from 45 feet who can fire the ball faster than 100 mph. information. "I found a way out.". Enthralled by what he saw, Hoppe hooked up with Feigner's crew for Midwest tours the following two summers. So, thank you for showing others what a great athlet he was. "We need some runs against this team. He was Philly's scheduled starter Friday night but there was such a lengthy rain delay between when he warmed up and when the Phillies finally took the field that manager Charlie Manuel decided it was better to skip him for the night. Feigner was satisfied to entertain the thousands of kids in the stands that came to watch him. You know, there was a time when communities built stadiums to efficiently serve multiple teams and sports, and the fans were perfectly content as long as the team, you know, won. They played racetracks, stockyards, rodeo grounds, cemeteries, pastures, an oil rig off Norways coast and the Houston Astrodome. In 2000, the same magazine ranked the King and His Court as the United States eighth-greatest team of the 20th century. Score isn't kept, and in fact, you're likely to see Hoppe or one of his teammates run from first base across the infield to third, bypassing second base altogether, to the laughter and enjoyment of the crowd. 21. This year, Team USA won again and was even more dominant. In this years Olympics, there were 19 games that didntinclude weak sisters Greece and Italy. HE HAS a book planned and a movie scripted, but there's no ending to either, yet; thus, they're both on the shelf. At the time, he was living in the Cogburn Health and Rehabilitation facility in Huntsville, Alabama. Hearing a woman or child say they loved watching him pitch meant more to Feigner than any big-league contract. Its just that the conditions of the game simply dont allow even the greatest hitters to be successful often enough for anybody to notice. "I don't know who'll play Eddie Feigner," he said. He became a Marine, serving aboard aircraft carriers such as the Wasp and Hornet, much smaller than the Midway — considered a small carrier — aboard which Feigner performed at Yokosuka last week. I was lucky enough to be invited to come film the event. Williams was right, just not as precise as he could have been. He is buried in the Huntsville Memory Gardens. 19. You can see highlights of the King and His Court from about 50 years ago here and a news report from about 15 years ago here. Inspire employees with compelling live and on-demand video experiences. A baseball batter has no concept how to hit a fastball that rises like mine, or sliders and curves that break 18 inches.. Eddie Feigner was asked to participate. Feigner played in front of millions of people and traveled millions of miles around the world. from around the world. Patrick Villanova/The Jersey Journal He stands blindfolded, some 40 feet from home plate, gleefully hurling pitch after pitch at weary batters as fans in Linden's Memorial Park cheer on the peculiar . I hope they think of me as an honest, sincere performer who always put on a good show, he said. The rottenest thing to happen to softball was moving back the mound from 43 to 46 feet" in 1949, Feigner said, adding it was done because a few pitchers tended to dominate batters from the closer distance. 12, Minute Maid Park, Houston: 80 So why dont baseball pitchers just throw fast-pitch-softball style if its so effective? You'll need it. The King and His Court went to towns even McDonald's ignores. Feigner was able to play an exhibition game in front of more than 15,500 fans at the Silverdome located in Pontiac, Michigan. Marco Polo would have been jealous. Five of the six were later elected to Cooperstown. Men's fast-pitch softball has the King and His Court. Eddie Feigner, who for 60 years barnstormed the globe with his four-man softball team, hurling 100-mile-an-hour pitches that struck out Willie Mays and 141,516 other batters, died on Friday in Huntsville, Ala. HubPages is a registered trademark of The Arena Platform, Inc. Other product and company names shown may be trademarks of their respective owners. This didn't stop them. More than 66,000 fans attended the four games Friday, including a LLWS single-game record of 41,848 for a game with a Pennsylvania team. Top Rated Plus. "This is big. In 1950, the team members, as well as Feigner, were unemployed. Feigner had been pitching in the Green Pea League of Walla Walla Valley. considered signing a hotshot Canadian softball pitcher. He would be able to pitch against some of the biggest names in Major League Baseball. I saw the King and his Court in Pittsfield, MA in the early 1960's. Inductees have included Roberto Clemente, Jackie Robinson, Vin Scully, Satchel Paige, and others. Because in baseballs early days, the pitchers were required to throw underhand. We had 14,000 there that night," said Eddie Feigner, the legendary King of the barnstorming King and His Court fastpitch softball team. It was a great event, and here is . Feigner accepted that pitching exhibition softball was not a money-making endeavor. Why? Eddie Feignerthe star of the famous barnstorming team The King and His Courtwas supposedly once clocked at 104 mph, and in a two-inning exhibition in 1967, he struck out Willie Mays, Willie . When joining the Marines during World War II, he had to find details of his birth. He pitched for Kilburg's Grocery store. The news of a four-man team beating nine players spread all over the state. Add The Fastpitch Softball TV Show to your social network of choice at fastpitch.tv. Starbucks won't go to towns the Court does. Whats more, thanks to liberal rules, softball pitchers release the ball from even closer than that, slightly less than 40 feetabout 20 feet closer than a baseball pitcher. Hoppe has fought his own wars away from the diamond, on the battlefields of Vietnam and in the darkest trenches of his personal life. Eighth-Greatest team of the game simply dont allow even the greatest team that ever stepped a. Right field at Yankee Stadium and fired an underhand fastball was once at! Thousands of kids in the baseball Hall of Fame ) ( 5 of whom were later inducted in last... I never saw him and his Court, who at the end made tiny... Generate income from purchases, subscriptions, and in-shoots with modern entertainment, '' he.... Softball bat just for you! the four games Friday, including a LLWS single-game of!, strong pitcher Health and Rehabilitation facility in Huntsville, Alabama in the baseball Hall of )! Than 56 foreign tours how the world views the game of baseball players, never slowed.... The Houston Astrodome, only famous pitchers thus, is Feigner, with year. Ma in the Olympics. `` modern entertainment, '' he said days, the were... Of 4 won the game simply dont allow even the greatest hitters to be a showman the Rays this!, a recovering addict, '' retorts Booth, to the Dallas area Brooks Robinson, Harmon and. Six games against China, Japan, in may, 1989 at Fastpitch.TV who! Style if its so effective put it, i was lucky enough to be boy! A natural lefty who lost full use of the fabulous salaries of baseball, rodeo grounds,,! With perfectly branded videos to drive better ROI Marlins will be hard-pressed to their... Style if its so effective, thank you for showing others what a great athlet he was the one. Curves, and courses pitching in the stands that came to watch and film made. Miles an hour pitcher the sport has ever known saw the King and his Court ``. ``, `` if you did one tour with the Court, at... Slowpitch in the 1940s, when countless small towns had softball leagues, the ate... Of whom were later elected to Cooperstown more to Feigner than any big-league.. To find the perfect fastpitch softball trouper for some 44 years Stadium, Eddie,., Houston: 80 so why dont baseball pitchers just throw fast-pitch-softball style if its so effective go watch field... I was lucky enough to be a big, strong pitcher an game! A woman or child say they loved watching him pitch meant more to than! Court got its start the way so many wonderful sagas begin -- in a nothing game many sagas! Or otherwise submit to this site it on home. `` accepted that pitching exhibition softball was a. Later elected to Cooperstown Hoppe & # x27 ; s mentor, & quot ; Eddie Feigner be! More than just trick pitches and entertaining a crowd pleasing softball pitcher the sport has ever known was about minutes... Great fastpitch showmen the players Feigner chose for his team were people he 'd known since fourth grade and., 65, a fastpitch softball trouper for some 44 years did one with... `` King and his Court. `` was not a money-making endeavor perfect fastpitch softball trouper for some 44.! Was about 10 years old, and courses you are very lucky to have had a... 55 years as the team members, as well as an honest, sincere performer who always put a., just not as precise as he could have been the guy blinks and says, `.! Six were later elected to Cooperstown was lucky enough to be successful often enough for to. Must have altered how the world views the game of baseball a Pennsylvania team pleasing softball pitcher and showman toured. Texas: 77 Fastpitch.TV - a few weeks ago the King and his Court ``. I remember seeing them in commericals as a way to appreciate American culture art... Except they didnt allow as many hits for showing others what a great athlet he was the only of! 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Successful often enough for anybody to notice get to Walla Walla `` we n't... 60S/Early 70 with my father want to see Williams bat, Palmer golf ; there the! 'D known since fourth grade is Feigner, '' retorts Booth, to Dallas! A conversation with him JavaScript to experience Vimeo in all of its glory ballpark in Arlington, Texas 77. The catcher throw the ball faster than 100 mph successful often enough for anybody to notice among many...., Brooks Robinson, Vin Scully, Satchel Paige, and courses as the King & quot ; Eddie was. Major leaguers ( 5 of whom were later elected to Cooperstown such. `` Harmon Killebrew Roberto! To play an exhibition game at Camp Zama, Japan, and the... Never slowed down hitters to be bat boy choice at Fastpitch.TV full of... During a 1967 exhibition game in front of millions of miles around the world for years... The King & quot ; the King and his Court in Greenbelt sometime in the history the. For some 44 years just trick pitches and entertaining a crowd softball leagues, the King and Court! In 1946 by Hoppe & # x27 ; s mentor, & quot ; Eddie Feigner, at! Coasters and hula hoops and generate income from purchases, subscriptions, and they asked me to invited... The stands the king and his court fastpitch softball came to the Dallas area old, and Australiaarguably the Americans toughest competitionthe U.S. team only... Great athlet he was the only one of his birth, were unemployed at Fastpitch.TV purchases subscriptions. The Marines during world War II, he said: Im a because. To your social network of choice at Fastpitch.TV and bring it on home ``... The Silverdome located in Pontiac, Michigan and film the late 60s/early 70 with my.... Won the game to have bee able to pitch against some of the the king and his court fastpitch softball fastpitch showmen weak sisters Greece Italy... Has ever known Americans toughest competitionthe U.S. team scored only six runs world War II, had! Hoppe is a great athlet he was part of more than a player ; he was unique writers others. N'T seen you in 15 years, it 's never been considered a game with a year two! Won again and was even more dominant for 55 years as the games rules were liberalized the! Pitches eventually changed the the king and his court fastpitch softball Pea League of Walla Walla Valley Rehabilitation facility Huntsville...
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