H.L. Mencken

Henry Louis "H. L." Mencken (1880–1956), was an American journalist, essayist, magazine editor, satirist, and acerbic critic of American life and culture, and a student of American English. Mencken, known as the "Sage of Baltimore", is regarded as one of the most influential American writers and prose of the first half of the 20th century.

H. L. Mencken in "The House That George Built"
In February, 1941, H. L. Mencken stopped in at a Baltimore establishment called George's Restaurant for a beer. He listened attentively to the owner, former minor league baseball player, George Ruth, reminisced about his life and career. It was Ruth's contention that has one or two crucial events been different at the very start of his career, he would have been remembered as one of the game's greatest players.

Mencken listened dutifully and attentively as he drank, often internally disputing Ruth's points. Once Ruth concluded, Mencken was reminded first of Thomas Gray's "Elegy", which contained the line Mencken had written a response some years before: "He didn't share this with Ruth, but instead finished his beer, and went back about his business.