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The real reason that 2nd base is positioned thusly has to do with fact that in the early days of softball, single pegs were used to hold down the bases and the rulesmakers wanted to have a simple method for the groundskeepers to locate the exact spot for the pegs.
Using the Pythagorean Theorum, the original rulesmakers determined that the distance from the back of home plate to the location of the center peg should be as follows:
60 ft x 1.4142135623730950488016887242097 (square root of 2)
= 84.852813742385702928101323452582 feet.
Rounding to feet and inches, you have 84 feet, 10-1/4 inches.
The rulesmakers forgot to subtract half the length of the diagonal segment of the base (10.606601717798212866012665431573 inches) from the total length in order to make 2nd base lie completely inside the 'perfect square'.
If someone wishes to submit a rule change to have 2nd base placed inside the diamond, then just indicate that the distance from home plate to the center of 2nd base should be precisely 83.968930265902518522600267999951 feet. Or, to round it off in order for a groundskeeper to understand, 83 feet 11-2/3 inches.
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