There is an accounting principle used by business to earmark the life cycle of materials and supplies that are kept in inventory, waiting to be processed into finished goods. This principle is called FIFO, first-in, first-out. It simply means that if a material or supply is, on a calendar basis, the first one of its kind placed in inventory, then it will be the first one taken off the shelf to be incorporated into a product for sale.

Think of it this way. During each MLB game, an average of 120 b...