Horsehide helps win a bet

By Gary Clothier

Question: My friend and I have a baseball history bet, and I have $25 riding on your answer. I say baseballs were first made with horsehide; he says they were always made with cowhide. Who wins?

G.L., Roseburg, Ore.

Answer: You win. Baseballs were made with horsehide until 1973. In 1974, the supplies dwindled, so the balls used by Major League Baseball switched to cowhide.

Did you know: Every baseball used in the MLB is hand-stitched in Costa Rica.

Question: I have become enamored of Annie Randall while watching old "Hee Haw" reruns. What became of her after the "Hee Haw" years?

B.M., Southside, Ala.

Answer: Anne Randall was born Barbara Burrus on Sept. 23, 1944, in Alameda, Calif. When she was 15, she became a regular on a teenage dancing show in San Francisco hosted by Dick Stewart. During the next two decades, she appeared in about 30 TV shows and movies. She was Playboy magazine's Playmate of the Month in its May 1967 issue and its cover girl in November 1973. From 1972 to 1973, she was a regular on "Hee Haw." At age 22, she married Dick Stewart. In 1979, she disappeared from the public eye.

Question: During pre-Olympic TV coverage, there was a discussion of unusual feats during previous games. There was mention of a marathon runner who took a year or so to finish the race. It doesn't make sense, and I'm wondering if you know the details.

R.L., Pensacola, Fla.

Answer: You must have heard about Shizo Kanakuri. I think the story of the Japanese marathon runner is one of the best of the Olympics.

In his home country, Kanakuri was celebrated as one of the best -- as a matter of fact, he was considered the "Father of Marathon" in Japan. During the 1912 Summer Games in Stockholm, he lost consciousness while participating in the marathon due to the heat. A farming family took him in until he recuperated. When he recovered, he returned to Japan, never notifying Olympic officials. Back home he continued to run, and he even competed in the 1920 and 1924 Olympics. But Swedish officials had no idea where he was. Finally, in 1966, Olympic officials tracked him down and gave him an unusual opportunity: If he wanted, Kanakuri could finish the race he started in 1912. He accepted the offer and completed the marathon in 54 years, 8 months, 6 days, 8 hours, 32 minutes and 20.379 seconds. At the end of the race, he said, "It was a long trip. Along the way, I got married, had six children and 10 grandchildren."

Question: My childhood favorite was Deanna Durbin. Can you please fill me in on her? Did she marry? Have children?

M.E., Whittier, Calif.

Answer: Deanna Durbin was born Edna Mae Durbin on Dec. 4, 1921, in Winnipeg, Canada. She grew up in Southern California and began making movies in 1936. In 1945 and 1947, she made more money than any other woman in the U.S. In 1941, Durbin married Vaughn Paul, who was an assistant movie director. The marriage ended in divorce in 1943. In 1945, she married a film writer, producer and actor named Felix Jackson. They had one daughter. The marriage ended in 1949, and she retired that year. In 1950, Durbin married Charles David in Paris. He was a producer and director. They moved to a house in the French countryside. The couple had one son. David died in Paris in 1999. Durbin has turned down all offers to return to show business since her retirement. She is a very private person and refuses most interviews.

Send your questions to Mr. Know-It-All at AskMrKIA@gmail.com or c/o Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.