Situation: trailing 4-7 in the top of the last inning, men on 2nd and 3rd with one out, your best hitter and pitcher at the plate.

Question: Can anyone justify to me a call for a sqeeze bunt in this situation? I really wouldlike to hear from as many as possible even if the answer is the same as others!!!

BTW, this actually happened in a High School game today. The hitter was forced to bunt resulting in a broken index finger on his throwing hand.

just sounds like a high school manager getting too cute

[This message has been edited by W (edited 4/10/2011 12:49a).]

best hitter? let him swing away

I'm confused what you mean best hitter and pitcher at the plate... you mean the closer is in facing your best hitter? Either way, I see absolutely no reason to bunt (but I'm just an average fan, not a coach). A base hit plates one or two and you need three to at least extend the game. The guy at the plate really needs to reach base, so unless the third baseman is playing really, really far back and the guy at the plate is super speedy, I'd rather take the chance at him getting a base hit.

Squeeze bunt is retarded in that situation. You don't take the bat out of your best hitter's hands down 3 runs at any point of the game.

From a defensive perspective, its a dream come true. You pick up the ball, turn and throw to first and concede the run. Thank you very much.

yeah thats dumb... it really only MIGHT make since if the game were tied... down one I'd rather him have a chance to win it with a single or tie with a sac fly or something

down 2+ thats retarded... even if there were 0 outs

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I'm confused what you mean best hitter and pitcher at the plate

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I think he meant the batter is also his team's best pitcher, or at least a pitcher on the team.







[This message has been edited by Captain Pablo (edited 4/10/2011 12:04p).]

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Situation: trailing 4-7 in the top of the last inning, men on 2nd and 3rd with one out, your best hitter and pitcher at the plate.

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The runs on base don't matter. The run at the plate is the only one that matters. If you run the squeeze, you give up an out, you're still down by two with a runner in scoring position, and you have to rely on someone other than your best hitter to drive in the trying run. That is terrible game management. Let the kid hit.

If he gets a hit, the runs score, and it is a one run game, then you can think about small ball.

first,

If your pitcher is your best hitter... I'm very sorry.


Second, where is the defense playing? Are they back on the grass trying to not let anything through?

Third, does the kid have a chance to make it to first, regardless of a run scoring? Is he fast enough?

fourth, can the kid bunt? (it seems the answer to this question is no...)

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Second, where is the defense playing? Are they back on the grass trying to not let anything through?

Third, does the kid have a chance to make it to first, regardless of a run scoring? Is he fast enough?

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None of this should matter. If the kid can hit, a ground ball to the right side will move both runners and score the run. There is nothing that the squeeze will accomplish in this situation, other than taking the bat out of your best hitter's hands, that a ball put in play (other than a shallow fly ball) will not.