Historical clue formulations

• Averted a tag, maybe — 2026-06-17
• Avoided a tag, say — 2026-05-14
• Lost traction — 2026-02-15
• Entered a bear market, say — 2026-02-06
• Went downhill — 2024-09-08
• Used a fire pole — 2024-07-30
• Avoided a tag, in a way — 2024-03-10
• Lost traction — 2023-11-15
• Lost traction — 2023-10-02
• Lost traction — 2022-12-13
• Reached base in a cloud of dust, say — 2022-11-22
• Dropped, as in the rankings — 2022-07-08
• Declined — 2022-01-23
• Took a dive — 2021-09-17
• Dirtied a baseball uniform, in a way — 2020-08-05
• Reached base feet-first — 2020-07-06
• Declined — 2019-02-01
• Got home safely, in a way — 2018-05-11
• Took a tumble, as the stock market — 2018-05-09
• Tried to steal second, maybe — 2017-10-30
• Dropped a bit — 2017-05-30
• Declined — 2017-05-25
• Dropped, as poll numbers — 2017-02-17
• Declined — 2016-12-11
• Avoided a tag, say — 2016-04-24
• Lost traction — 2016-01-18
• Dropped a bit, as the stock market — 2014-11-24
• Skidded — 2014-08-11
• Declined, as stocks — 2012-11-01
• Declined a bit — 2012-03-04
• Lost traction — 2012-02-17
• Lost traction — 2011-10-11
• Tried to make it home, say — 2011-02-13
• Came into a base horizontally — 2010-05-25
• Got home in a cloud of dust — 2010-03-07
• Did a glissade — 2008-03-19
• Lost traction — 2007-06-11
• Dropped, as in the polls — 2006-11-07
• Declined — 2006-08-17
• Moved on ice — 2005-01-10
• Went down to second? — 2004-10-24
• Went down — 2004-09-09
• Dove home — 2004-06-12
• Lost traction — 2004-01-04
• Fell, as interest rates — 2003-05-17
• Didn't have good traction — 2002-10-16
• Went down a firehouse pole, e.g. — 2000-12-25
• Barely made it home? — 2000-07-07
• Didn't have traction — 2000-02-07
• Glided — 1998-12-14