Do you say RBI or RBIs?

MaskedTerror # 2 · Post by **MaskedTerror # 2** » Fri Aug 26, 2005 9:51 am

And does it bother you when someone says it the way you don't?

I equate "RBI" as a plural with baseball purists. And maybe when I read box scores every day, I would let it slip. So now, yeah, when I hear it said it bothers me.

But I will also drop it if I know it bothers the person I am talking too.

YouTube · Post by **Philaflava** » Fri Aug 26, 2005 9:57 am

It's suppose to be "RBI," although I would say Thome had 121 RBI's last year if referring to it.

T-Wrex · Post by **T-Wrex** » Fri Aug 26, 2005 9:58 am

I say ribbys.

squ1d · Post by **squ1d** » Fri Aug 26, 2005 10:00 am

T-Wrex wrote:I say ribbys.

MaskedTerror # 2 · Post by **MaskedTerror # 2** » Fri Aug 26, 2005 10:04 am

Ribbys. Nice. Low brow.

And yeah, I get it, it is supposed to be RBI, but I feel like a douche saying it.

bringinoutbangerz · Post by **bringinoutbangerz** » Fri Aug 26, 2005 10:07 am

squ1d wrote:
T-Wrex wrote:I say ribbys.

stupidregister · Post by **stupidregister** » Fri Aug 26, 2005 10:14 am

Who cares.

MaskedTerror # 2 · Post by **MaskedTerror # 2** » Fri Aug 26, 2005 10:16 am

stupidregister wrote:Who cares.

the sports-obsessed. You didn't answer.

And I know you have an answer.

Dids · Post by **Dids** » Fri Aug 26, 2005 11:54 am

I'm a child of the baseball stathead movement in the late 90s. I never talk about RBIs.

I do not however, use the ATM machine.

Raphael De La Ghetto · Fri Aug 26, 2005 12:20 pm

I say both.

blastmaster · Post by **blastmaster** » Fri Aug 26, 2005 1:33 pm

RBI if I am level-headed, then RBI's if I am excited, then RBI when in a heated exchange and want to seem superior.

Nowell's Soul · Post by **Nowell's Soul** » Fri Aug 26, 2005 1:53 pm

RBI, it's not runs-batted-ins.

Dan · Post by **Dan** » Fri Aug 26, 2005 1:55 pm

Diggedy · Post by **Diggedy** » Fri Aug 26, 2005 2:03 pm

RBI'S.

If someone says to me "Gary Sheffield has 98 RBI this year".. It just doesn't sit well with me.

I'm not saying I condone the use of "Cactuses" over "Cacti"..

I'm just telling you what my brain processes..

There is only one instance where I will accept RBI and not question it's use :

"Wayne Tolleson went 1-4 with a single and an RBI".

Peeping Tom · Post by **Peeping Tom** » Fri Aug 26, 2005 2:28 pm

RBI's sounds funy to me

MaskedTerror # 2 · Post by **MaskedTerror # 2** » Fri Aug 26, 2005 3:08 pm

Diggedy wrote: "Wayne Tolleson went 1-4 with a single and an RBI".

haha. My thought exactly, except it was Bobby Meachum.

OMNI · Post by **OMNI** » Fri Aug 26, 2005 3:09 pm

It should be RBI, not RBI's.

He lead the league in Runs Batted Ins

Diggedy · Post by **Diggedy** » Fri Aug 26, 2005 3:53 pm

MaskedTerror # 2 wrote:
Diggedy wrote: "Wayne Tolleson went 1-4 with a single and an RBI".
haha. My thought exactly, except it was Bobby Meachum.

Haha.. Same brain man.. I was going to put either Wayne of Bobby..

Please tell me you remember this, because no one else does..

In the mid 80's, Meacham hit a rare home run, and was so excited, he overran the runner in front of him and was called out..

Am I going crazy? If you don't remember, I'll try and google it...

Edit - Found this..

: In Billy Martin's first game as New York manager, Larry Parrish belts three home runs to power the Rangers to a 7

Nuke · Post by **Nuke** » Fri Aug 26, 2005 4:29 pm

I'm a writer, so this is very interesting. According to the AP guide, RBI is singular and RBIs (no apostrophe Phila, it doesn't own anything

) is plural. So it's... "Frank Thomas hit his third RBI single. He now has 54 RBIs." Since the AP guide is like the bible for jouralistic styles... I'd say that if someone says 100 RBI... you have every right to correct them.

Nuke · Post by **Nuke** » Fri Aug 26, 2005 4:30 pm

OMNI wrote:It should be RBI, not RBI's.

He lead the league in Runs Batted Ins

See my post above^^^^ I'm going to see if I can find an online version of the AP guide.

Andvil · Post by **Andvil** » Fri Aug 26, 2005 6:03 pm

once you turn "Runs Batted In" into its abbreviated form (RBI) it loses it's pluralization, even though it's understood. When talking about multiple RBIs you HAVE to pluralize it. That's how it works. When you say it as Runs Batted In, then the plural comes back and it's no longer needed.

"Some abbreviations have embedded plural forms, and there are often inconsistencies in creating the plurals of these words. The speed of an internal combustion engine is measured in "revolutions per minute" or rpm (lower case) and the efficiency of an automobile is reported in "miles per gallon" or mpg (no "-s" endings). On the other hand, baseball players love to accumulate "runs batted in," a statistic that is usually reported as RBIs (although it would not be terribly unusual to hear that someone got 100 RBI last year

Sankofa · Post by **Sankofa** » Sat Aug 27, 2005 10:33 am

I've never had occasion to say either.

MaskedTerror # 2 · Post by **MaskedTerror # 2** » Mon Aug 29, 2005 2:14 pm

Sankofa wrote:I've never had occasion to say either.

Are you some sort of sissy boy?

Uh, anyway, I remember the Meacham play, as I remember that string of horrible Yankee shortstops. That's why it has always been funny to me that Massholes will call me a frontrunner for being a yankee fan. My hey day of fanship came during some dark days. Some Meachum days.

Steve Sax didn't become famous for what he is famous for until he was on the Yankees.

Oh, and thanks, Andvil. It shows that baseball purists are dicks. And dumber than they think.