In baseball, the little things are the difference between a good and great sports team. Knowing how to execute a squeeze play is only one of the many things that you must be able to execute, but it is an important tool. The squeeze play is when a runner on third attempts to come home while the batter is bunting. There are two types of squeeze plays; the suicide squeeze and the safety squeeze. Both are effective and efficient ways to score runs in baseball. Here is an overview of each and how to execute them properly:

Suicide Squeeze - Some have said that the suicide squeeze is among the most exciting plays in all of baseball. A suicide squeeze is not the easiest play in the world to try, but it is a play that can be done correctly with practice.

With a runner on third, and less than two outs, the most common baseball approach is to try for the sacrifice fly. Occasionally, when you have a batter up that handles the bat well but lacks pop, it is good to try a suicide. The element of surprise can not be overstated here. You do not want this to be part of your standard game in baseball. If you do the pitcher will just pitch out and tag the runner at home. When the pitcher begins the windup, the runner on third takes off for home. The batter then does everything possible to bunt the ball into play. If the bunter misses the ball, the runner is virtually always out. This is most effective with a really fast player on third, of course.

With a safety squeeze, the runner on third comes about 1/3 of the way down the line before committing to coming home. The batter will selectively bunt the ball into play and the runner on third will then streak towards home as soon as he sees contact. This is a much safer play than the suicide squeeze play, but it also is less successful than a well executed suicide. The safety squeeze has been a staple in the game of baseball for centuries.

Squeeze plays allows the manager of a baseball team to keep the defense on their toes, and to switch up things now and then. The manager on third or first will usually signal the batter and runner when a squeeze play is on, so it is vital that they both get the sign right. If either player misses the sign, then the play is doomed and the inning could be as well.

Image credited to Wikipedia User Tage Olsin