WIN?

HA! He is. He really is.

 

I personally think Cliff Lee's 22-2 victory-loss record was the most unexpected storyline of last season.

 

Proper style is "victory-defeat record."

 

Hey, I've read history books.

 

I'm more bothered by people who write "won-loss" record. It's won-lost or, if you must, win-loss, but won-loss makes no sense.

 

What was the Red Sox's conquest-setback record last year?

 

I used that argument with a sports editor 30-plus years ago and he explained to me the column heading in the standings from AP were W L for Games Won and Games Lost. It was now for Wins and Losses.

I learned at that point it was an argument I couldn't win.

He also wouldn't let us use straight to describe a streak of events, such as won seven straight games. That arose from a predecessor who was one of the top baseball writers ever, but in covering a game he once wrote that a batter struck out on ``three straight curveballs.'' Sports editor want to know how the curveballs could be straight, and mandated we couldn't use the word straight.

 

Ask anyone who's ever pitched at Coors Field.

 

When GIFT became a verb, I gave up. Youse can use whaddeva woids youse wants.

 

Not using win as a noun is not win.

 

That will get me to blow my gasket, even more so than using impact as a verb. A chair is an inanimate object, not a verb. Hell, I'd change chairperson to chairman or chairwoman.

 

[Ask anyone who's ever pitched at Coors Field.
[/quote]

Priceless.