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I never agreed with the fake tag rule, either in Fed or in ASA. When I played, it was considered unsportsmanlike if, with the runner on first going, F6 faked a tag after a foul ball. F6 gained no advantage; he just made the runner slide for no reason. But if the pitch got away from F2, then faking a tag was smart baseball. If the coaches couldn't communicate with the runner, then any delay you could cause the runner was OK. Of course, people knew how to slide in those days, so the worst that could happen was that you got your uniform dirty.
In the World Series, the runner didn't "fall for the deception." Pros usually don't.
Well, since so many more slides today cause injury, I guess Fed and ASA are justified in prohibiting the fake tag.
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greymule
More whiskey—and fresh horses for my men!
Roll Tide!
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