Baseball AcademicsTHE SUICIDE SQUEEZE
BY RICHARD PACE
The suicide squeeze is one of the most intense plays in baseball and usually will result in a score when the batter executes his job properly. The batter’s job: get the bunt down on ANY given pitch. A suicide squeeze is the only time we set aside several bunting fundamentals. When in a suicide situation, you have to get your bat on the ball. If the pitch is low and away and you have to drop the barrel end of the bat to make contact, do it. It’s better to foul off the pitch than to have the runner tagged out in a run-down between third and home. Remember the runner is taking off from third during the pitcher’s wind-up. Expect this and focus on protecting that runner. If the pitch is out of the strike zone, you have to go after it. Some batters have resorted to allowing the bat to leave their hands to make contact with the ball- making every effort to protect the runner. Even if the ball is at your head, which is where pitchers are taught to throw in this situation, you still have to find any way possible to get the bat on the ball and on the ground!
