May 15

A friend, a famous baseball player, hit regularly in the neighborhood of .315. Early in the season I had listened on the radio through two innings of a game and was dismayed when he struck out. Meeting him later that day. I told him how sorry I was he had struck out. “Oh,” he said, “l struck out again in the eighth inning.”

“Twice? What’s happening to you?” I asked anxiously. “Nothing at all,” he responded with unconcern. “I take comfort in the law of averages. To bat an average of .315 as I have been doing, one will strike out about ninety times a season. So today, when I fanned twice, it means I have only eighty-eight times more to strike out this season.”