The Squeeze Play

Are you a fan of the squeeze play in baseball?

The squeeze play is a sacrifice bunt with a runner on third and usually less than 2 outs. The batter bunts the ball hoping that the runner from third will score and that he will be thrown out at first base.

In a safety squeeze, the runner at third does not take off until the batter makes contact, waiting for more certainty that the ball will go to a location from which it will be difficult for the fielding team to make a play at the plate. In a suicide squeeze, the runner takes off during the pitch, even before the pitcher has released the ball.


A Very Dangerous Play

As the name implies, the Suicide Squeeze is a very dangerous play because the runner on third base runs full speed toward home plate as the pitcher starts his windup. If the batter fails to bunt and swings the bat, the runner can be hit by the bat as he's swinging or get hit by the ball being struck off the bat. In order to make this play less dangerous it is a good idea for the batter to signal that he has received the suicide squeeze. Usually a hand on the top of the helmet or grabbing a fistful of dirt is enough to signal the third base coach that the batter has confirmed the squeeze play is on.