Carlos Correa tried to pull the no-ball hidden-ball trick, but Billy Burns wasn't buying it

When Billy Burns came in to pinch-run in the eighth inning of the Royals' 7-3 loss to the Astros Monday night, he likely didn't expect to have his wits tested immediately. Fortunately, he had his wits about him as Carlos Correa came after him with the hidden-ball trick, only Correa didn't have the ball.

Possession of the ball is something of a sine qua non when it comes to successfully executing the hidden-ball trick. Without the ball, one is left merely performing a harmless prank, a purely performative display.
Burns, heady pinch-runner that he is, was well aware that Correa's hidden-ball trick did not meet the necessary condition of him having the ball. As such, he was having none of Correa's antics.