exhibition games on Wednesday night and the "King and his Court'' will dazzle fans with his trademark pitching prowess until Monday night.

This is Feigner's fifth trip here, having last toured Bermuda in 1986, so he is no stranger to local softball fans. In fact, Feigner is known around the world as the originator of the four-versus-nine softball showdowns.

In the last 47 years, Feigner's travels have taken him across four million miles and to almost every country on the globe. He is currently working on plans to take his four-man team to China, which will be a first for them.

Feigner, who keeps his age to himself, has been hobbled by arthritis and heart problems in recent years, but expects to keep pitching at least until 1995, his 50th year in softball.

"Age doesn't make a difference,'' he said yesterday from his Elbow Beach Hotel room. "Don't worry about how old I am. I'm still the best athlete in the world.'' The impressive record he has accumulated during six decades would make anyone agree, and Feigner is still able to strike out "young whipper snappers'' half his age.

According to the official program available to fans at Bernard Park this week (all games begin at 8 p.m.), Feigner has pitched in 9,150 games and won 7,800 of them. Not even Walter Johnson, Jim Palmer or Steve Carlton can boast of a similar record.

"Stats aren't important,'' he said. "Only the media makes a big thing about that.'' One record remains close to his heart, the almost 10,000 "shows'' he has done since 1946 before millions of appreciative fans. "No one has done that many,'' he said. "Not Bob Hope, not even the Harlem Globetrotters.'' Feigner, catcher Dave Booth, first baseman Gary West and shortstop/pitcher Rich Hoppe are in Bermuda facing off against local teams like the Social Club Blue Sox, Hornets, North Village and Bermuda Selects, and spending almost as much time on the golf course as on the softball diamond. Feigner, who plays often at the famous Pebble Beach course in California, believes playing at Mid-Ocean, Riddell's Bay, Port Royal and Belmont golf clubs in the same week would make any golfer drool.

His blitzkrieg pitches, blindfolded accuracy and gentle humour make opponents drool with envy and it is his secret, he said, to bringing back fans year after year.

"You can't improve on Hamlet,'' said Feigner, who compared the art of softball to following a tightly-written script that should rarely be deviated from. That is not to say he will not throw in a few surprises once in a while.

On Wednesday night, the King showed off his famous array of wind-up pitches, including the whip, whirligig, figure eight, jerk, slingshot and rewind. After the game he spendt extra time explaining the fine art of softball pitching to fans.

"The only thing I won't do now is run the bases or slide or do stupid things that young people will do,'' Feigner said.

Feigner has struck out baseball greats like Roberto Clemente, Willie McCovey, Willie Mays and Bobby Bonds and believes any good softball pitcher "could strike out those guys. They just can't hit good softball pitching.'' Even though he struggles with crippling arthritis, retirement is far from his mind. "People shouldn't retire,' he snorted. "That's stupid.'' Several minutes later, however, Feigner changed those sentiments and wondered, "I don't know how much longer I'll be around. I can't keep doing this forever.'' Whether or not the four-man phenomenon can continue without him is doubtful.

The program shows 40 covers from the last 47 years. Feigner is on every cover except one.

"Oh, it'll survive,'' he said. "There will always be someone who can pitch a ball like I can and who has a gift for entertainment.''