Baserunners

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Individuals who occupy specific positions on the field in baseball, trying to advance to the next base after a hit occurs
2. Players on the baseball field who aim to progress through the bases following a batted ball
3. Members of a batting team who attempt to reach home plate by moving to the next base when the opportunity arises

Etymology: Baserunner is a plain compound: "base" joined to "runner," so it names the player who runs between the bases. The surprising part is the "base" itself. In early baseball, a "base" was a fixed post or bag marking a point the runner had to reach, and the game's whole structure grew around these stations rather than around a diamond-shaped field as such. The plural "baserunners" is simply this noun in its plural form, used for the players on first, second, or third at a given moment. Because the game has always centered on runners advancing from one station to the next, the term describes the offensive team's players waiting to be moved along by a hit.

Synonyms: runners, players, athletes