The shortest distance from where to where? The shortest distance from home plate to second base: --- From home plate to first base to second base and back to home plate forms a right triangle with the right angle at first base. The distance from home to second is the hypotenuse, so use the Pythagorean Theorem: c² = a² + b² ---> c² = 90² + 90² ---> c² = 8100 + 8100 ---> c = √16200 ---> c ≈ 127.3.
