baseball style guide

Technically, RBI is an initialism, not an acronym.

 

Call me old fashioned, but I prefer RBIs as the plural.

Something about "he had five RBI" just doesn't sound right, even though I know it's technically correct.

 

If we use decimals for innings pitched, we really should go 6.3333333333333333333∞ for 6 1/3rds.

 

But then if a guy goes 1-for-3, isn't he hitting .333333333333333333333333333333333?

Argh! Where does it end!?

(just kidding, I agree with you. It should be 6 1/3 whenever possible)

 

Center field or centerfield? Short stop or shortstop?

 

A. B.

 

I don't think I've ever met someone who wrote "short stop." If someone ever did, I would probably murder them.

 

Is the shorts top at the knee or at the waist?

 

It's not a style thing, but I've always found it unnecessary to say someone went 3-for-4. I think just saying he had three hits is sufficient. It helps avoid number overdose. A three-hit game is a three-hit game. Unless the game is 15 innings and the guy goes 3-for-8, I don't think you need to say how many at-bats.

 

"Joey D-Bag went 3-for-4."

"Joey D-Bag had three hits."

Pretty much the same length, only the first one has more information. If it's relevant, put it in there. Now, I don't think you should do a whole graf of the same thing -- This Guy went 2-for-4, That Guy went 1-for-3, Other Guy went 3-for-5, etc. -- but in small doses it's fine and I think it's more informative than just saying he had three hits.

 

How do you spell the plural form of the word "fungo?"

 

Thank you. Thank you.
It is RBI, not RBIs.
He had six RBI or as the famous Joe Jares would say, six RsBI.