### Comment:
What technique is the baseball player employing, and what is its purpose?
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### REPLY:
The baseball player is employing the bunting technique in this image. The purpose of a bunt is to make contact with the pitched ball and to tap it into the infield with a short, controlled swing. This is usually done to advance a base runner or to surprise the opposing team with an unexpected play. Bunting is a strategic move that can provide an advantage for the offense in certain game situations. It forces the opposing team to make a quick and accurate play to get the batter out, and it can potentially lead to an advancing or scoring of runners already on base.