Talk:Run batted in

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[edit] Exceptions

I changed the part about an RBI not being credited when there's an error. A batter certainly can get an RBI on a play where an error is charged; it's just a matter of the scorer's decision as to whether the run would have scored without the error. For example, in a sacrifice fly situation, if the outfielder drops the ball, allowing the batter to reach base, the fielder would get an error, but the play is still ruled a sac fly and RBI for the batter. Jeff Worthington 01:48, 9 August 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Plural

I always get annoyed when I listen to ESPN announce "such-and-such has 38 RBI," rather than RBIs. I understand that it is correct from an initialism stanpoint -- Runs Batted In -- but, then, we don't say he flew out, do we? I notice that the article uses both: "the batter would get three RBIs" and "RBI are." I haven't been able to find a definitive and/or historical source while poking the web. Any help and/or opinions? VermillionBird 06:26, 9 September 2006 (UTC)

Look at a box score / summary, they are never listed as RBIs. Another way to look at it, you don't use "HRs" to denote multiple home runs, do you? What would that be "Home Runs-eses"? ;)

Without discounting the discussion, that's a superficial and failed example. "eses" is only necessary if you're Gollum. "Home Runs" can't decide the debate VermillionBird (talk) 04:50, 21 May 2008 (UTC).

In the strictest grammatical sense, the plural is RunS batted in, and a proper treatment would be "RsBI" and not RBIs except that RBI is an acronym, and the general rule in English is to treat a noun formed as an acronym is treated as if it were a normal noun even if one would never put the plural signal "s" at the end of the phrase if pronounded as the words in question. We say Runs Batted In, and not Run Batted Ins; we also say RBIs and not "RsBI". An analogy is to the phrase "weapon of mass destruction"; the plural for the phrase is is Weapons of Mass Destruction, the acronym is WMD (singular) or WMDs (plural) -- and never WsMD.

Whether one says "Ed Smith has 38 RBIs" or "Ed Smith has 38 RBI" is a quibble, except that the latter may be over-refined. "Ed Smith has 38 RsBI" would be a travesty of English grammar. --Paul from Michigan 02:45, 12 March 2007 (UTC)

My two cents, the plural of RBI is RBI (runs batted in; e.g. "he got four RBI that game"), and it makes me cringe when I hear RBIs...67.171.27.123 (talk) 23:28, 17 February 2008 (UTC)

Runs batted in is inherently plural. "Ruth had four runs batted in; Gehrig had one run batted in." But the pluralization of the the abbreviation is RBIs not RBI. "Ruth had four RBIs; Gehrig had one RBI." The URL http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/rbi.html explains it simply.

RBI is an acronym. The pluralization of acronyms is to add an s. To quote Wikipedia:Manual of Style, "Acronyms and initialisms are pluralized by adding -s or -es as with any other nouns (They produced three CD-ROMs in the first year; The laptops were produced with three different BIOSes in 2006). As with other nouns, no apostrophe is used unless the form is a possessive." (i.e. RBIs and not RBI's).

RBI and HR will appear without the s in cases of statistical lists, like the backs of baseball cards and encyclopedia-style charts. RBIs and HRs are when used in sentences.

Examples:

  • Led AL in RBIs in 1910, 1914, and 1915
  • He was also 3rd in the National League in triples (16), RBIs (104), and slugging percentage (.524).
  • Consecutive seasons, 120+ RBIs: 8 (1927–1934)
  • In four postseason games, he hit .077 (1-for-13) with a run and one RBI.
  • After giving up an RBI single to Pete Rose, Lonborg was inexplicably removed from the game by manager Danny Ozark.
  • National League RBI champion: 1952
  • 3 time RBI leader (1993, 1995–1996)
  • Dropo was the first rookie in the 20th century to top 100 RBIs with more RBIs than games played.
  • Belle is also one of only six players in major league history to have nine consecutive 100-RBI seasons.
  • List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 RBIs
  • On all charts and infoboxes, it should be RBI

Many articles in Wikipedia have RBI in sentences when it should be RBIs. I started going around changing them, but there must be 100s of articles out there that need fixing. We can't set up a BOT to do it because some of the instances that RBI is used are correct. One really has to read the sentence to know if it is RBI or RBIs. What we can do is keep an eye out. Whenever you edit a baseball article, just double check the article and fix any instances of RBI that should be RBIs.

I realize "RBIs" might not look or sound right, but it is consistent with our Manual of Style, and many other Manuals of Style. Thanks, Kingturtle (talk) 23:59, 17 February 2008 (UTC)

[edit] It has been proposed that RBI (disambiguation) be renamed and moved to RBI.

You can find the discussion at Talk:RBI (disambiguation)#Requested move. Ewlyahoocom 22:41, 1 September 2007 (UTC)