Burning Question: Which is better, his fastball, or his policy pitch?

Ross Ohlendorf takes a break from the Pittsburgh Pirates to intern at the Agriculture Department.

Major league baseball players enjoy a variety of offseason pursuits: Some play in winter leagues, others enjoy lots of golf and travel, and some devote their time to business ventures.

Then there's Ross Ohlendorf, who was 11-10 in 29 starts for the Pittsburgh Pirates last season. He spent his winter as a volunteer intern at the Agriculture Department in Washington, the New York Times reports.

During his time at the department, Ohlendorf, a Princeton graduate whose family operates a ranch near Austin, Texas, worked on a cost-benefit analysis of a program tracing disease in livestock and how it affects farmers.

Pirates' Ross Ohlendorf Exercised Brain With Federal Internship
(New York Times)

Burning Question is a recurring feature that looks at key issues and compelling stories being explored at other publications and social media sites covering the federal government.