Off base?
<p><span word="Reader">Reader</span> <span word="question">question</span>:</p><p><span word="If">If</span> <span word="someone">someone</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="remark">remark</span> <span word="is">is</span> “<span word="off">off</span> <span word="base">base</span>”, <span word="what">what</span> <span word="does">does</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="mean">mean</span> <span word="exactly">exactly</span>?</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="comments">comments</span>:</p><p><span word="Baseless">Baseless</span>, <span word="basically">basically</span>. <span word="Without">Without</span> <span word="foundation">foundation</span>.</p><p><span word="It">It</span> <span word="means">means</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="particular">particular</span> <span word="someone">someone</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="remark">remark</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="certain">certain</span> <span word="subject">subject</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="either">either</span> <span word="entirely">entirely</span> <span word="wrong">wrong</span>, <span word="or">or</span> <span word="badly">badly</span> <span word="inaccurate">inaccurate</span>.</p><p>“<span word="Off">Off</span> <span word="base">base</span>” <span word="is">is</span> <span word="originally">originally</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="baseball">baseball</span> <span word="term">term</span>, <span word="describing">describing</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="position">position</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="player">player</span> <span word="temporarily">temporarily</span> <span word="leaving">leaving</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="base">base</span>, <span word="his">his</span> <span word="safe">safe</span> <span word="place">place</span>. <span word="In">In</span> <span word="baseball">baseball</span>, <span word="players">players</span> <span word="run">run</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="base">base</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="base">base</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="order">order</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="score">score</span> – <span word="by">by</span> <span word="successfully">successfully</span> <span word="running">running</span> <span word="three">three</span> <span word="bases">bases</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="returning">returning</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="fourth">fourth</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="home">home</span> <span word="base">base</span>.</p><p><span word="While">While</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="first">first</span>, <span word="second">second</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="third">third</span> <span word="base">base</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="player">player</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="advised">advised</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="keep">keep</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="feet">feet</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="base">base</span>. <span word="So">So</span> <span word="long">long</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="foot">foot</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="touching">touching</span> <span word="base">base</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="opponent">opponent</span> <span word="team">team</span> <span word="cannot">cannot</span> <span word="pick">pick</span> <span word="him">him</span> <span word="off">off</span> – <span word="hitting">hitting</span> <span word="him">him</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="thus">thus</span> <span word="eliminating">eliminating</span> <span word="him">him</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="play">play</span>. <span word="To">To</span> <span word="steal">steal</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="base">base</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="run">run</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="next">next</span> <span word="base">base</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="pitcher">pitcher</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="caught">caught</span> <span word="unawares">unawares</span>, <span word="however">however</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="runner">runner</span> <span word="sometimes">sometimes</span> <span word="ventures">ventures</span> <span word="off">off</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="few">few</span> <span word="meters">meters</span> <span word="towards">towards</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="next">next</span> <span word="base">base</span>.</p><p><span word="That">That</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="exact">exact</span> <span word="situation">situation</span> <span word="where">where</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="runner">runner</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="off">off</span> <span word="base">base</span>.</p><p><span word="If">If</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="player">player</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="off">off</span> <span word="base">base</span>, <span word="of">of</span> <span word="course">course</span>, <span word="he">he</span> <span word="runs">runs</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="great">great</span> <span word="risk">risk</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="being">being</span> <span word="hit">hit</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="if">if</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="pitcher">pitcher</span> <span word="throws">throws</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="ball">ball</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="base">base</span> <span word="before">before</span> <span word="he">he</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="able">able</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="run">run</span> <span word="back">back</span>.</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="short">short</span>, <span word="while">while</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="base">base</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="player">player</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="safe">safe</span>; <span word="off">off</span> <span word="base">base</span>, <span word="he">he</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="safe">safe</span>.</p><p><span word="If">If</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="player">player</span> <span word="habitually">habitually</span> <span word="strays">strays</span> <span word="too">too</span> <span word="far">far</span> <span word="off">off</span> <span word="base">base</span>, <span word="well">well</span>, <span word="he">he</span> <span word="must">must</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="crazy">crazy</span> <span word="because">because</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="type">type</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="recklessness">recklessness</span> <span word="means">means</span> <span word="suicide">suicide</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="clearly">clearly</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="untenable">untenable</span>.</p><p><span word="Hence">Hence</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="metaphorical">metaphorical</span> <span word="idea">idea</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="remark">remark</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="opinion">opinion</span> <span word="being">being</span> <span word="deemed">deemed</span> <span word="off">off</span> <span word="base">base</span>, <span word="meaning">meaning</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="said">said</span> <span word="remark">remark</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="opinion">opinion</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="safe">safe</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="sound">sound</span>. <span word="It">It</span> <span word="is">is</span>, <span word="therefore">therefore</span>, <span word="wrong">wrong</span>.</p>
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