safety squeeze play
- noun
- Jargon
- The team executed a perfect safety squeeze play to score the winning run.
Examples
-
The manager called for a safety squeeze play to try to score the tying run.
-
During the safety squeeze play, the runner waited until the bunt was down before heading home.
-
Our team executed a perfect safety squeeze play in the ninth inning.
-
Did you see the safety squeeze play in the last game?
-
Our team executed a perfect safety squeeze play in the ninth inning.
-
The manager called for a safety squeeze play to try to score the tying run.
-
During the safety squeeze play, the runner waited until the bunt was down before heading home.
Synonyms
A baseball play where a runner on third base tries to score as the batter bunts
A play where a runner on third waits for a successful bunt before running home
How Risky
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is sports jargon: knowing 'safety', 'squeeze', and 'play' helps a learner infer that this is a type of 'play' that is a safer variant of a 'squeeze' tactic, but the precise mechanics (runner waiting for a successful bunt, reducing risk) are specialized and not directly predictable from the words alone. Because some semantic information is transparent (safer variant) but the detailed baseball meaning is idiomatic and domain-specific, it is only partially transparent to a B1 learner.
Etymology
Safety squeeze play comes from a cautious version of the old squeeze play. In this play the runner on third waits until the batter's bunt is down before running home, so the move is 'safer' and less likely to make the runner 'out'.