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Originally Posted by greymule
how many shortstops have had to retire early because some idiot kicked out their kneecaps?
I can't think of any offhand. And except for the Rose/Fosse incident, I can't think of a truly damaging crash or takeout slide, either. But maybe I'm wrong. And I don't know what happened during the Cobb era.
In terms of phantom tags, professional baserunners, as opposed to kids, know the difference. What pro is going to be suckered by a fake tag? Further, purely phantom tags solely for the reason of messing up the runner—such as after a foul ball—will be remembered and punished just like dirty slides and other violations of the unwritten rules of the game.
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Actually, Jim Gantner, a well-respected second baseman for the Milwaukee Brewers in the 80s, had his knee completely destroyed by a take-out slide. Thus, I believe that take-out slides are completely bogus, and I toss out any SP player that makes an obvious attempt to employ one.
Referring to "phantom tags," I wasn't referring to "fake tags" as defined by the ASA rule book. What I was referring to was the shortstop or second baseman sweeping his foot behind the base for the force out, setting them up for a better throw to first for a double-play. "Phantom tag" might be the regional term for such a play. Sorry about the confusion, but I think my explanation might clarify my previous statements about my distaste for them. Tag the friggin' bag, dummy!
