SIR,—Whatever qualifications Mr. Rod MacLeish ('Dementia Americana') may have for
referring to Americans as 'my telloW-countrymen,' the sine qua non—a knowledge of baseball—is not among them. The reference to 'sixty home runs batted in' apparently confuses home runs (four-base hits) with runs batted in (runners reaching home plate as a result of the batter's activity). Home runs are 'hit,' and each results in one to four runs batted in (RBI), depending on whether' the bases are 'empty,' 'loaded,' or something in between at the time.
ALFRED L. COTCHER
20 Old Church Street, Chelsea, SW3
[Rod MacLeish writes: 'I was born in Philadelphia (home of the Athletics); bred in Chicago where the White Sox and the Cubs play ball; and I sbegan ageing in Boston where the local heroes are the Red Sox; but I have to admit to a very limited knowledge of baseball. My six-year-old nephew who is an expert says the same thing: my apologies to the national sport.'—Editor, Spectator.]
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