Definition of the word bat around

The phrase "bat around" in baseball refers to hitting the ball back and forth among multiple batters during an informal or unstructured game. The origins of this colloquial expression are rooted in the early days of baseball when players would hit the ball with a bat, but without any clear rules or boundaries. In the late 1800s, before organized baseball leagues and equipment standards emerged, games were played with varying numbers of players and basic equipment. Large groups of people would gather in open fields or schoolyards and hit a ball that was often makeshift, like a rock or a pumpkin. The term "bat around" emerged as a way to describe these impromptu games, as batters would take turns hitting the ball and running the bases as they pleased. The lack of regulation also meant that batters could hit the ball as many times as they wanted before they were "retired," making the game more fluid and unpredictable. As baseball became more structured and formalized in the early 1900s, "bat around" fell out of favor as a term, but it endured in informal games and pickup matches as a way to describe the more relaxed, conversational style of play. Today, "bat around" is still used in casual contexts to indicate a less serious or structured game that values fun and camaraderie over competition and strategy.