Taking a 3-0 pitch isn’t a rule, but you might as well

Today’s question: In baseball, when the count on a batter is 3-0, it seems the batter always “takes” the next pitch. Is this an unwritten agreement among players? The conventional wisdom is to take on a 3-0 count. Just over 30 percent of the next pitches on a 3-0 count are balls so you have a one-in-three chance of getting on base without doing anything. And even if you take a strike, you still have two chances to put the ball in play.

And of course it depends on the situation. If you are late in a close game with a runner in scoring position you may well want to take a crack at it.

On the other hand, depending on the batter, the pitcher might decide on an intentional walk and take a chance on the next batter.

So taking on 3-0 is conventional wisdom, with so many “ifs’’ attached it’s hard to predict what might happen

To protect from power outages I have flashlights for insurance should the power be cut. The problem is if it’s nine months or more when I go to use them there is little power left and the light is dim.

How come these batteries lose their power even though not used?

Think of the batteries, especially the type not meant to be recharged, as water tanks with a few pin-point holes.

Even though the leaks are small they are eventually going to drain away all the water.

How quickly a battery is going to self-discharge depends on the type and age of the battery and the temperature at which it is stored.