Who was called the “worst” Major League Baseball player of all time?

The year is rushing by so fast!

Seriously … it sometimes feels as if New Year’s is still being celebrated, and suddenly, poof! Halloween costumes appear on the store shelves.

That’s at the end of this month, you know.

So over the next couple of weeks, I will share with you my thoughts for an appropriate 2021 Halloween costume. (I seldom get invited to Halloween parties anymore; due to a vampire costume I once took a bit too seriously.)

Nevertheless, the rush of the year pauses for your weekly dose of trivia, right now.

Did you know …

… in the United Kingdom, it is illegal to sell most goods on a Sunday? The main exception is carrots, which may be sold at any time. (While I’m aware the law is routinely ignored, I have to ask … carrots? Seriously? Bugs Bunny would approve.)

… the term “oxymoron” is, itself, an oxymoron? An oxymoron is a word or term that can mean two opposite things, such as “free gift” or “jumbo shrimp.” “Oxy” comes from a root word meaning sharp, while one meaning of “moron” is dull. (Another oxymoron that springs to mind is “military intelligence.”)

… the “five-second rule” is a myth? It is normally invoked when someone drops food on the floor, and then quickly retrieves it. However, the idea that bacteria don’t have enough time to get on the food if you pick it up within five seconds is utter balderdash. Bacteria can survive on carpets for up to four weeks, and some really nasty ones can be immediately transmitted to food the instant it hits the floor. (Let a jumbo shrimp hit the floor, and I’ll show you how fast I can beat the five-second rule.)

… cats can hear ultrasound? Ultrasound is high-pitched sound above the range of human hearing. (Cats always choose what they hear, what they listen to, and what they respond to.)

… a prominent astronomer had a number named after him? After Dr. Carl Sagan (1934-1996) became famous for the unique way he said the phrase, “billions and billions,” a numerical unit called the sagan was created. A sagan is equal to at least four billion, since that is the smallest number that can be described as “billions and billions” – two billion plus two billion. (If you remember Dr. Sagan, you can hear him say it in your mind right now.)

… alligators can go without eating for up to three years? (Granted, they’re a little testy at the end of that time, so be careful. You never know when an alligator had his last meal.)

… the worst Major League Baseball player of all time played at the turn of the 20th Century? In his three-year career in the big leagues, John Gochnaur (1875-1929) was a shortstop for the Brooklyn Superbas (later called the Dodgers) and the Cleveland Naps (later the Indians, and next year the Guardians). He signed with Brooklyn in 1901 and played in three games that season, getting four hits and a walk in 12 plate appearances for a respectable .364 batting average. It all went south from there for Gochnaur, however. Signing with Cleveland for the 1902 season, Gochnaur was the starting shortstop, but batted only .185 with no home runs and just 37 runs batted in. He committed 48 errors that season, including five in one doubleheader. Somehow, he got the starting shortstop job the next season, again batting a “spectacular” .185 … then he outdid himself on the field, committing a total of 98 errors. By 1904, his career in the big leagues was over. Following his brief playing career, Gochnaur went on to become an umpire, a police officer, and a bartender. He’s referred to in many baseball texts – and in the Congressional Record – as the worst player ever in MLB history. (You have to hope he didn’t make too many errors as a bartender.)

… the official state animal of California is extinct? The California grizzly bear was designated official state animal in 1953. The last known California grizzly bear was killed in 1922. (Somehow, California naming an extinct animal as its state animal fits.)

… Nebraska is triply landlocked? Nebraska is separated by at least three states from any ocean in any direction. (And yet, Nebraska has a Great Navy. I know; I’m an admiral in it.)

… an Australian prime minister credits his holding of a world record for his election? Bob Hawke (1929-2019) served as Prime Minister of Australia from 1983 to 1991. Hawke was also the holder of a world speed record for beer drinking, and in his memoirs Hawke credited that record for his electoral success. Australia is a country with a strong beer culture, and he felt that holding a speed-drinking record helped him. (We all have to be known for something, right? Hey, American politicians, take note!)

… the average woman uses six pounds of lipstick in her lifetime? (Not all at the same time, of course.)

… women in Italy traditionally wear red undergarments at New Year’s? It’s considered lucky. (Hey, whatever works for you!)

… penguin groups use at least three plural words? A group of young penguin chicks is called a crèche; a group of penguins in the water is known as a raft; a group of penguins on land is referred to a waddle. (A waddle of penguins? Now that’s funny.)

… less than 7% of the population donates blood? (And the other 93% is very, very grateful!)

… the speed of a computer mouse has a unique measurement? The speed is measured in units called “mickeys.” (A true Mickey Mouse measurement if ever there was one.)

Now … you know!

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