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Saturday, January 07, 2012

ProGS - The Pronunciation Guide For Sabermetricians

Jason Brannon’s about to go HAM!

SLG: Slüg. It’s Scandinavian. Slüg…

WAR: This has two different pronunciations, depending on which version of WAR you’re referring to. FanGraphs’ WAR is pronounced like the Franco-Prussian War, while the Baseball Reference version is like the War of 1812. See the difference? Neither does anyone else.

FIP: Remember that pointy weapon from the X-Files? You know, the one they used to stab aliens in the back of the neck, because that’s the only way to kill an alien? The sound that thing makes when it’s unsheathed is how you say “FIP.”...

ISO: The cliché of the Japanese character always saying, “Ah, so!” dates back to the end of World War II, when Emperor Hirohito met with ordinary Japanese citizens for the first time at the insistence of General MacArthur. When the emperor’s awed subjects told him about their lives he would meekly reply, “Ah, so” or “I see, I see.” This has nothing to do with the pronunciation of ISO, I just wanted to remind our Belgian readers that we destroyed the nation of Japan and we can do the same thing to your country, no problem. That would be no problem for us at all.

BABiP: Just say “batting average on balls in play,” unless you want to be alone for the rest of your life. God, you’re a nerd. No wonder girls won’t talk to you.

The District Attorney Posted: January 07, 2012 at 02:09 PM | 15 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
  Tags: sabermetrics, special topics

Reader Comments and Retorts

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   1. Javy Joan Baez (chris h.) Posted: January 07, 2012 at 02:43 PM (#4031263)
Oddly, I never say "WAR" like the word "war." I always pronounce it as if it rhymed with "are."

No idea why.
   2. cardsfanboy Posted: January 07, 2012 at 02:52 PM (#4031265)
most of the stats that are acronyms I say each letter. only exception I can think of is War. And I've never said SLG any way other than slugging percentage, and agree with babip suggestion. (If I thought there was any reason to reference Siera, I would probably pronounce it)
   3. Javy Joan Baez (chris h.) Posted: January 07, 2012 at 03:00 PM (#4031271)
SLG I usually say "slug" or "slugs" depending on the context. Or slugging percentage. FIP I rhyme with "whip." Same with WHIP, of course. BABIP I say the letters individually or say it like the suggestion above.

Thankfully I've never had to bring up SNLVAR.
   4. Dr. Vaux Posted: January 07, 2012 at 03:14 PM (#4031279)
I always pronounce it as if it rhymed with "are."


Probably because the "a" is for "above." That makes perfect sense to me. Well, that would have you pronouncing it as if the a were a schwa, but it still makes sense somehow. I guess there are times when the a in above is straight short "o." I'm a pronunciation specificity weirdo. I pronounce "they're," "their," and "there" distinctly differently.
   5. Karl from NY Posted: January 07, 2012 at 03:37 PM (#4031287)
As #1 says, WAR in my head is definitely not like the fighting war, it's somewhere between "are" and "where".

ISO isn't even an acronym (or initialism for the pedants). It's just short for "isolated power" and you may as well say that, like nobody says "oh bee pee" or "ess ell gee" out loud. I might accept "eye so" like the word begins, but not "ih so" with a short I and _definitely_ not "eye ess oh".

BABIP is a perfectly pronounceable acronym, why not?
   6. Monty Posted: January 07, 2012 at 03:37 PM (#4031288)
That was a pretty funny article. Well done!

("PAN-cake FLOPS")
   7. Dale H. Posted: January 07, 2012 at 03:45 PM (#4031294)
I remain unconvinced by the arguments of the article, and will always pronounce it "eye-ess-oh".
   8. ERROR---Jolly Old St. Nick Posted: January 07, 2012 at 04:10 PM (#4031313)
Oddly, I never say "WAR" like the word "war." I always pronounce it as if it rhymed with "are."

No idea why.

Is you from Dixie?
   9. The District Attorney Posted: January 07, 2012 at 04:19 PM (#4031320)
Was you ever bit by a dead bee?
   10. snapper (history's 42nd greatest monster) Posted: January 07, 2012 at 04:33 PM (#4031330)
As #1 says, WAR in my head is definitely not like the fighting war, it's somewhere between "are" and "where"

Oddly, I never say "WAR" like the word "war." I always pronounce it as if it rhymed with "are."

Definitely agree. WAR rhymes with are.

Calling it (Civil) War is dumb. War is already something. W(are) is nothing else.
   11. Javy Joan Baez (chris h.) Posted: January 07, 2012 at 04:35 PM (#4031332)
Is you from Dixie?

Heh. Nope. Chicagoland area for most of my life, excepting a 10-year sojourn to San Diego.

I want to be back in San Diego.
   12. Javy Joan Baez (chris h.) Posted: January 07, 2012 at 04:37 PM (#4031333)
Calling it (Civil) War is dumb. War is already something. W(are) is nothing else.

Plus, it just reminds me of Wor, as in Wizards of Wor.
   13. SoSHially Unacceptable Posted: January 07, 2012 at 05:47 PM (#4031370)
I try to avoid ever saying any of these aloud.
   14. Rally Posted: January 07, 2012 at 06:09 PM (#4031374)
while the Baseball Reference version is like the War of 1812.


This is true, but a lot of people make the mistake that this means the American War of 1812. Actually, it's like the Patriotic War of 1812, also known as the French invasion of Russia. If I ever write a book about it the title will be War in Pieces.
   15. Don Malcolm Posted: January 07, 2012 at 06:17 PM (#4031380)
Just pronounce "BABIP" as "bebop".

You'll still score with the chicks and Bill James (for one) won't know the difference.

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