Why was a pitcher’s only career home run so special to him?

I just noticed something. It’s September.

That means the beginning of fall later in the month, of course, but for me it has another meaning. It means another birthday is coming up.

Assuming I stick around long enough to see it, I will be turning 64 years old on the 26th of this month. (I have no plans to do otherwise, of course, but one never knows these days.)

It’s been a very enjoyable life and it continues to be so, and I want to take a moment to thank all of you for coming along on the ride with me. Don’t go anywhere, of course, because the trivia vault is still full and I can’t wait to share more of it with you. So here’s the latest installment, straight from the trivia vault! (I may have to start calling it that from now on. I like it.)

Did you know…

…methane produced by cows does contribute to global warming? However, the belief that bovine flatulence (look it up) is a major contributor is wrong. About 90 percent of the methane expelled by cows is belched from the cow’s mouth. (It’s really hard to fight the impulse to make a joke about politics right now, you know.)

…elephants are a lot more like people than we think? Elephants make friends, they bury their dead, they travel for “funerals,” and they even speak to each other. They are probably one of the most intelligent species on the planet. (Depending on what humans are doing, they could be the most intelligent species.)

…cats have fewer toes on their back paws? Cats have five toes on their front paws, but only four on their back. Those who worry about such things believe it helps the cats run faster. (A purr-fect theory.)

…twice in American history, three men served as President of the United States during the same year? It happened first in 1841, when the eighth President, Martin Van Buren (1782-1862) left office on March 4. Inaugurated was the ninth President, William Henry Harrison (1773-1841). Harrison died a month later, making John Tyler (1790-1862), his Vice President, the third man that year to hold the office. The same thing happened in 1881 – Rutherford B. Hayes (1822-1893), nineteenth President, saw his term end March 4. The twentieth President, James A. Garfield (1831-1881), was shot in June of that year, and Chester A. Arthur (1829-1886), Vice President, took office in September after Garfield died.

…two-thirds of all the people on Earth have never seen snow? (And the other one-third think they’ve seen too much.)

…men are six times more likely to be struck by lightning than women? (There’s a meaning in there somewhere, but I can’t find it.)

…a Major League Baseball pitcher’s only career home run was extra special to him? On May 29, 1976, Joe Niekro (1944-2006), a knuckleball pitcher then with the Houston Astros, was at the plate in the seventh inning during a game against the Atlanta Braves. Niekro would come to bat a total of 1,165 times during his 22-year career in the big leagues, but this night would be the only time he ever hit a home run. What made it extra special to him was the fact that the ball he hit out of the park was pitched to him by his brother, Phil Niekro (1939-2020), ace knuckleball pitcher for the Braves. The Astros won the game 4-3. (Back in 1976, just about everybody beat up on the poor Braves, didn’t they?)

…a species of frog can go eighteen months without using the bathroom? Okay, I know frogs don’t actually use a bathroom (don’t be pedantic – that’s my job). But the wood frog of Alaska can go an entire year and a half without urinating. In fact, the waste product of the frog’s kidneys helps keep the animal alive during hibernation, as special microbes in the digestive system recycle the urea into nitrogen.

…you may have enjoyed a rumfustian? What’s a rumfustian, you ask? Well, if you ask, you obviously haven’t had one. A rumfustian is a hot alcoholic beverage that was most popular during the 19th Century. It was made of egg yolks, beer, wine, gin, sugar, and spices. The word was first coined in 1824. (And if you ever try one, let me know how it tastes, okay?)

…a sport called “aggressive sitting” exists? Created in Germany in 2008, participants in Sporthock, or aggressive sitting, use colorful plastic stools with rubber linings to perform several difficult tricks before sitting on the stool and watching others do the same. (Aggressive sitting, eh? Gotta try that in the office one day.)

…the National Football League has not always been called that? When it was formed from among ten teams in four states in 1920, it was called the American Professional Football Association. The current name was adopted in 1922. (A rose by any other name, they say…)

…starfish do not have blood? They circulate nutrients to their cells using seawater in their vascular system. (Whatever works!)

…sweat was once used as a beauty enhancement? In ancient Rome, women would wear the sweat of gladiators in an effort to improve beauty and complexion. (Ewww!)

…during the Great Depression, an African nation tried to help the United States? Things were so bad in the U.S. at one point that the French colony of Cameroon sent money to New York for food relief. Things weren’t all that great in Cameroon, either – the total sent was $3.77. (It’s the thought that counts, after all.)

Now… you know!

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