Since he played 6A AL baseball at Grissom abt 10 yrs ago, was a leadoff LH batter, high OB %, .430 avg, and played his last HS game at Hoover HS against their spawn of Satan, Bucaneers, in the state quarterfinals. He obviously knows more about strategy than I.
He told me he did that once, when he sensed the FB appeared to have a lifted off the bag, he slid to the outside to avoid a possible tag.
Did that successfully, but still got called "out."
In his words, "Well, that's baseball."
I told him that sounded very Polkie.
Apparently umps expect players to follow the tradition.