Ask five people what a balk is and you'll get five different answers, and most of them will be wrong. This week on That's Strike 3, I'm breaking down the most misunderstood rule in the book, straight from the actual rulebook language.

We start with the one thing you have to know before you can even think about calling a balk: is the pitcher in the windup or the set position. That single distinction changes everything downstream, including what counts as a legal pickoff attempt and what doesn't.

From there we walk through the full list of what actually constitutes a balk, not just the two or three violations everybody already knows. We also get into why umpires freeze up on borderline calls, and it's not a knowledge problem, it's a courage problem. And we close with the mechanic that trips up even good umpires: why a balk with no runner on base isn't actually a balk at all.

If you've ever felt unsure calling this rule, or you're a fan who's always wondered what's really going on when that flag goes up, this one's for you.

Out now on Amazon Music.

You're on Day 13 of a 14 day tournament streak. Your body is tired. Your mind doesn't want to be there. And somehow you still have to make good calls.

In this episode, we break down the three things that actually keep you functional during the longest stretches of tournament season:

1. Mental Awareness — It's OK to not be having a good time. Accept the grind instead of fighting it. The moment you stop trying to be positive all weekend is when you actually reset.

2. Physical Foundation — 2 to 6 hours standing in heat will destroy you if you're not hydrated and fueled going in. Your body failing means your mental game fails. Hydration, water, snacks. Non negotiable.

3. Personal Recovery Strategy — You need to know what you need off the field to be your best on the field. For some that's staying fully immersed in baseball. For others it's completely disconnecting. There's no one right answer. But knowing yourself? That's vital.

This is how you survive tournament season without burning out. This is how you call good games on Day 13 when everything says you shouldn't be there.

Listen on Amazon Music. New episodes every Wednesday.