second baseman: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2Informal, Technical (Sports)
Quick answer
What does “second baseman” mean?
In baseball, the defensive player whose position is at second base, positioned between first and second base on the infield.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
In baseball, the defensive player whose position is at second base, positioned between first and second base on the infield.
A key defensive player responsible for covering second base, fielding ground balls, turning double plays, and often possessing good range and agility. The role may metaphorically refer to someone in a supportive or crucial intermediary position in a team structure.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The term is exclusively American in origin and use. In the UK, the sport of baseball is niche, so the term is rarely used or understood outside specific sporting contexts. British English would adopt the American term for the position if discussing baseball.
Connotations
In AmE, it carries strong connotations of American sports culture, teamwork, and specific athletic skills. In BrE, it is a marked Americanism with no native cultural resonance.
Frequency
Extremely high frequency in American sports discourse; very low to zero frequency in general British English.
Grammar
How to Use “second baseman” in a Sentence
[Team]'s second basemanThe second baseman [verb: fields, throws, tags, turns]Play/Pitcher throws to the second basemanVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “second baseman” in a Sentence
verb
American English
- The manager decided to second-baseman the rookie in the late innings. (very rare, non-standard verbal use)
adjective
American English
- He has a classic second-baseman build—compact and agile. (attributive use)
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Metaphorically used to describe a team member in a critical supporting or liaison role between departments (e.g., 'She's the second baseman between marketing and sales').
Academic
Used only in academic writing about sports history, sociology, or kinesiology.
Everyday
Almost exclusively used in everyday American English when discussing baseball.
Technical
Specific technical term in baseball coaching, statistics (e.g., fielding percentage for a second baseman), and rulebooks.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “second baseman”
- Using 'second base man' as separate words (should be a closed or hyphenated compound: second-baseman/second baseman).
- Pronouncing 'baseman' with a stressed first syllable /ˈbeɪs mən/ instead of the compound stress on 'base' /ˈbeɪsmən/.
- Using it to refer to a player in other sports like cricket or rounders.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is most commonly written as two words ('second baseman'). You may occasionally see it hyphenated ('second-baseman'), especially when used attributively (e.g., second-baseman skills). It is rarely a closed compound.
Yes, in professional and amateur contexts. The term 'baseman' is generally treated as gender-neutral for the position, similar to 'chairman' evolving to 'chair'. In women's softball, the position is also called 'second baseman'. Some may use 'second baseperson', but 'second baseman' remains the standard term.
The standard abbreviation in baseball statistics and scorekeeping is '2B'. For example, 'He plays 2B for the Yankees.'
No, it is not. Cricket has completely different fielding positions with names like 'wicket-keeper', 'slip', 'gully', and 'mid-off'. There is no direct equivalent. The term is specific to baseball and its derivatives.
In baseball, the defensive player whose position is at second base, positioned between first and second base on the infield.
Second baseman is usually informal, technical (sports) in register.
Second baseman: in British English it is pronounced /ˌsɛkənd ˈbeɪsmən/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌsɛkənd ˈbeɪsmən/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Turn a twin killing from second (turning a double play)”
- “Cover the bag at second”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of the baseball diamond: FIRST base, SECOND base, third base. The SECOND baseMAN is the MAN stationed at SECOND base.
Conceptual Metaphor
A CRITICAL SUPPORT/BRIDGE is a second baseman. (e.g., In our project, logistics acts as the second baseman, connecting planning and execution.)
Practice
Quiz
What is the primary responsibility of a second baseman in a typical double-play scenario?