75 RBI or 75 RBIs?

I've always felt that if the term is spoken or spelled out, then the "s" is used or not used depending on whether it is one run or many runs; e.g. Run Batted In (RBI) or Runs Batted In (RBIs).  If during a game the announcer is explaining that the hitter got an RBI than RBI (non plural version) is correct.  If viewing season stats, and using the abbreviated version, then RBIs is appropriate.  In essence, when writing or speaking the term which ever way sounds better is the one to use.  Either way, not a big deal and nothing to lose sleep over.

On this Twins team, this year, 75 is a number that may not matter.  Let's try this again and use the number 71.

RBI. A lot of discussion for something so uninteresting and meaningless to so many, eh?. 

On 8/13/2022 at 3:18 PM, h2oface said:

RBI. A lot of discussion for something so uninteresting and meaningless to so many, eh?. 

RBIs have been an important statistic in baseball for well over 100 years, therefore for those who love the game, interesting. Larry Hisle 82 Ribbies at the all-star break, man! Said a fellow player in 1977. Hack Wilson’s absurdly high RBI total was known to most baseball fans....funny I forgot it but it may have been 190-just checked, it was 191! No requirement at all but I recommend a deep dive into baseball history for especially younger baseball fans. This book, to me, is the quintessential book on baseball,  all of it, going back to the 1850s. https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/baseball-an-illustrated-history_geoffrey-c-ward_ken-burns/320783/item/1399830/?gclid=Cj0KCQjw3eeXBhD7ARIsAHjssr8jWhSDIBakBvvsplipclwb5mYpilSbuYNQKlfaQr84HUsvzIZTbwcaAnBsEALw_wcB#idiq=1399830&edition=3422469

On 7/24/2022 at 4:17 PM, DJL44 said:

The singular and the plural are both RBI. It is Runs Batted In, not Run Batted Ins

Call it what you want, everything doesn’t need to be scrutinized this closely. RBIs is just fine

2 hours ago, LVTwinsfan said:

Call it what you want, everything doesn’t need to be scrutinized this closely. RBIs is just fine

I don't not know if that been such a minor aspect with todays youths command of grammar already in the pits.

1 hour ago, RpR said:

I don't not know if that been such a minor aspect with todays youths command of grammar already in the pits.

You’re kidding right? There is no correct way to pluralize RBI because it’s not a word. 

3 hours ago, LVTwinsfan said:

You’re kidding right? There is no correct way to pluralize RBI because it’s not a word. 

No you must be kidding, it is an acronym and there are singular and plural acronyms, you have shown the truth in my statement.

8 minutes ago, RpR said:

No you must be kidding, it is an acronym and there are singular and plural acronyms, you have shown the truth in my statement.

Ok fine you win, so RBIs is correct then

4 hours ago, RpR said:

I don't not know if that been such a minor aspect with todays youths command of grammar already in the pits.

53 minutes ago, LVTwinsfan said:

RBIs

RBI is an acronym, thus a noun: singular RBI, plural RBIs. If you want to say the words, say them, don't use the acronym. You would not use the plural for 'an RBI double' to say 'runs batted in double' meaning one run.

 I am wrong in simply calling it an acronym, an acronym is a word and RBI is not a word, so I had grab my college rules of correct grammar and:  -  Most readers probably know that an acronym is an invented word made up of the initial letters or syllables of other words, like NASA or NATO. Fewer probably know that an initialism is a type of acronym that cannot be pronounced as a word, but must be read letter-by-letter, like FBI or UCLA.

But even at that , in correct grammar, in an acronym the vowel is the plural form, so there is not s in a plural version, but as English is one of the few languages where the verb most often comes before the noun, for the verb to follow screws with most peoples minds

On 8/15/2022 at 8:39 PM, LVTwinsfan said:

RBIs

RBI is an acronym, thus a noun: singular RBI, plural RBIs. If you want to say the words, say them, don't use the acronym. You would not use the plural for 'an RBI double' to say 'runs batted in double' meaning one run.

LOL