In both Mr. 3000 and Major League, a batter bunts in a runner from second base, allowing the team to win the game. The runner goes on the pitch, the batter bunts the ball down the third base line, an infielder grabs the ball and throws to first to get the batter (out in Mr. 3000, safe in Major League), the first baseman throws home, but the runner is safe, winning the game.
Now knowing a lot about baseball, it seems like a stretch that a runner could make it home from second before the ball gets back to the catcher. Is this in any way realistic, or just a bit of Hollywood fantasy?
No the suicide squeeze play is when there’s a runner on third who takes off with the pitch assuming the batter can bunt the ball on the ground. If he does the runner will be safe easily. If the batter misses the bunt or pops it up, that’s suicide for the runner. If the runner on third waits to see if the bunt is successful, that’s called a safety squeeze. With no runner on third, it would just be called a sacrifice bunt.
And remember on the described play, the catcher will be one of the people trying to field the bunt if it doesn’t go too far. The third baseman will try to hang back for a possible play on the runner if he doesn’t see him breaking. The plate might not be covered, and the runner might break for home hoping to catch the defense by surprise.
Not at all common these days, just as bunts in general are less common than a hundred years ago. With runners on 2nd & 3rd, this would be called the ‘double squeeze.’ It still happens on occasion, but it’s rare these days.
In the several hundred games that I’ve attended in person, major league and minor league both, it’s never happened. I couldn’t tell you for sure that it hasn’t happened in games I’ve seen on tv or listened to on the radio, but I doubt it has. It would take a very unusual set of circumstances for it to happen without an error.
Actually, the link above says it is the only time in Twins history that this play has taken place. Once in 57 years puts it up there with other Really Unlikely events, even if that is only for one team…
And even if the idea is right, there’s a lot of luck in executing it perfectly.
The bunt has to drop far enough away from the fielders so the batter can reach third before a throw can get there.
Somehow, both the catcher and the pitcher have to be unable to get to home plate before the runner can get past them.
Of course the element of surprise is important. The batter and runner are hoping someone on the defense will be surprised enough to bobble the ball, make a bad throw or drop a catch.
Note that according to the Baseball Prospectus, attempts to steal third base are much less common than stealing second (although somewhat more successful) while attempts to steal home are both rare AND notoriously unsuccessful.
I’d bet that Ty Cobb scored from second on a bunt more than once (in “Ty Cobb: A Terrible Beauty” he is described as scoring from second on an outfield putout and going from first to third on a sac bunt).
Here’s Mookie Betts scoring from second on the equivalent of a bunt by Dustin Pedroia, and making it easily.
In the 1982 World Series, Cardinals second basemen Tommie Herr hit a two-run sacrifice fly. The ball was hit sufficiently deep to center, and was a hard enough catch, that both the runner at third (Willie McGee) and second (Ozzie Smith) scored.
I believe that was the only World Series case. It happens every couple of years in the regular season.
I’ve seen it happen but I don’t remember any particular case. Usually there’s a bad throw or catch involved, or maybe a ball knocked loose in a collision at home although I don’t recall seeing that last case. It’s pretty standard for the runner at second to hold up at third so he doesn’t get caught in a run-down coming off third base by the cutoff man.
There’s a few more online I found, but they all seem to involve the outfielder hitting the wall or otherwise having difficulty getting the ball back to the infield.