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The wheel play is a unique bunt defense in that the play is designed to put out the lead runner at third base. Most bunt defense strategies give priority to making sure the defense gets an out at first base. [1] The wheel play begins with the shortstop running to cover (defend) third base.
A bunt is a batting technique in baseball or fastpitch softball. Official Baseball Rules define a bunt as follows: "A bunt is a batted ball not swung at, but intentionally met with the bat and tapped slowly within the infield." To bunt, the batter loosely holds the bat in front of home plate and intentionally taps the ball into play.
Cincinnati Reds outfielder Bubba Thompson squares up to bunt in the eighth inning during a MLB spring training baseball game, Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024, at Goodyear Ballpark in Goodyear, Ariz.
To extract information from the offense. For example, if the defense suspects a bunting situation, the pitcher may throw over to first in hopes that the batter will square around to bunt on the pitcher's first move, revealing his intention. To buy time for a relief pitcher to be prepared to come into the game.
If the defense is employing an extreme shift, with the shortstop playing on the first-base side of second base and with the third baseman playing near second base (because by reputation the batter is anticipated to hit the ball to the right side of the infield), in some cases the pitcher may need to cover third base. [citation needed]
The player at the plate must also lay down a quality bunt. That is, the player must lay down a bunt that does not pop up, go foul, or go straight to a fielder. Even if all goes well, if the sacrifice bunt is successful, the team must still get a hit to score the runner, and they now have 2 outs remaining instead of three. [5] [6]
In the sport of baseball, each of the nine players on a team is assigned a particular fielding position when it is their turn to play defense. Each position conventionally has an associated number, for use in scorekeeping by the official scorer: 1 (), 2 (), 3 (first baseman), 4 (second baseman), 5 (third baseman), 6 (), 7 (left fielder), 8 (center fielder), and 9 (right fielder). [1]
Speedy runners also bunt for base hits when infielders are playing back. In such a situation, left-handed hitters may use a drag bunt, in which they start stepping towards first base while completing the bunt swing. Even the great slugger Mickey Mantle would drag bunt once in a while, taking advantage of his 3.1 second speed from home to first ...