The first month of the 2008 Major League Baseball season is nearly in the bag, and that calls for some reflection. I was driving somewhere this weekend, listening to the Giants' game, when my wife made an insightful remark (not unusual). Why, she asked, do they say he "flied out" when a ballplayer hits a fly ball that is caught by a fielder? Shouldn't it be flew out? Good question. Freedictionary.com doesn't even mention it, instead defining "to fly out" as
To rush out. To burst into a passion.
Occasionally, you'll hear a broadcaster use "flew out," but not often. It's all the more surprising as it's common to hear a broadcaster describe a long home run by saying "that ball just flew out of here!" (We're not hearing this too frequently this season with the Giants, but that's another story).
The other faux pas that all broadcasters make is the use of the acronym for runs batted in (RBI). "A-Rod has three RBIs today," a broadcaster might say. In fact, the plural needs to be RBI (runs batted in). And then you'll hear newbies exclaim "It's gone! A grand slam home run!" Usually, their more experienced microphone partners will take them aside and gently remind them that a grand slam by definition is a home run.
Such are the things I ponder when my team is forecast to lose 100 games this season.
2 comments:
All true, but baseball announcing has never been the epitome of English elocution. Think of some of the truly great announcers, like Dizzy Dean who once said on CBS, "Zarilla slud into third!"
We are blessed, however, Jon Miller, who generally uses the correct phrase, "That's a fly-out to center."
And I have to take issue with the 100-loss prediction. In fact, I am predicting no less than a fourth-place finish for the youngsters in black and orange by the bay (to differentiate from the Orioles).
Lou, you are more optimistic than I, but the way they're playing now you may win the wager!
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