I'll read anything about baseball and the O's. So lately I've been coming across a lot of comments from fans who are clamoring for Joel Pineiro and offering him 3 years, $30 million. I think I've missed something.

First, I have not seen anything in my internet travels linking the O's to Pineiro.

Second, how does a career .500 pitcher with a career ERA well over 4.00 who got blasted out of the AL a few years ago mean the difference between 90 losses and respectability (which has been asserted in more than one fan's comments)?

Third, what good does it do the O's to plug in Pineiro behind Millwood and Guthrie, while taking away a slot from one of either Matusz, Tillman, or Bergesen? To me, that sounds like a sub-mediocre rotation with hopes of going nowhere but sideways.

Fourth, how does signing Pineiro to 3 years, $30 million make sense either now or in the future?

I disagree with a lot of things, but this one I can't even see the basic logic on.

I've always thought of it as kind of a sheep mentality.

One person, who could be an idiot, or a wise person, makes a comment about a player that could help the O's on the internet.

Vlad Guerrero, Mark Texiera, Joel Pineiro, Richard Hidalgo (heh), you get the point.

Someone else reads this and says "that guy could help the O's" and then starts posting it on the sites they frequent.

More and more, over and over, pretty soon a report surfaces on a legitimate writer's blog, then an "insider" on O's Hangout says that "his sources" tell him that an offer was made.

That gets people who were against it in previous postings out there yelling about how the O's need to make this deal, need to get it done now! This will be the difference in getting a winning season in 2004-2005-2006-2007-2008-2009-2010!

Then the Sun (or more currently Roch on MASN) writes an article with actual quotes from Jim Beattie/Mike Flanagan/Jim Duquette/Andy MacPhail denouncing the whole thing.

Some will cry "they don't want to win" "Angelos is a cancer" others will swear that the deal "must have fallen apart, probably Angelos getting in the middle of it"

Some will swear they are done with the O's, then show up online a few days later, or at least still be seen at games complaining about how if only we had Joel Pineiro, then we'd be in the World Series for sure!

And for good measure, they'll boo Joel Pineiro whenever he plays against the O's in Camden Yards.

Oh yeah, I'm well aware of sheep mentality and the internet.

This one is so far off in my mind though, that I'm actually asking here if I'm missing something about Joel Pineiro.

BTW, I love Bill Hicks also. RIP.

Well in that case, I don't know either. Seems a waste of time and money to me.

Draftermatt:

Great quote by Bill Hicks.

Ain'ta gonna happen.

Don't ask me, man. I'm still trying to get over $4.99 for a 6-pack of Natty Boh.

Funny Sluggo… :D

Good post Matt.

I think I may have recognized a poster in your description who used to frequent this site. I wonder what he thinks of that astute GM Mark Shapiro's latest signings… Shelley Duncan and Austin Kearns?

Well thank-you. It was hard to pick just one, and one that was PG, heh. Got turned on to him because of Yahoo!'s radio station on stand up comedians.

I'll just quote Career200 "Any resemblance to any person living or dead is coincidental"

Though it's hard to say what he thinks of them. Probably thinks they are great deals that a "moron like MacPhail would never think of signing"

I think it's safe to say that Kearns had an opportunity to stand out on some lousy teams down in Washington, and failed miserably. I don't know what anybody sees in him at this point. Nats fans hate him. In the one game I saw him play in DC, he went 0-for-5 and launched his bat into the first row striking out on a breaking ball.

I was upset over paying $7.50 for a draft beer at a random Irish pub in Manhattan. Most of them charge 5 or 6, only the lounges and upscale places have the gall to charge more. And yes, you can get a beer at an Orioles game cheaper than that. I believe I paid 6 for a microbrew at the game before our gathering the end of 2008.

Oh and to stay on topic, Piniero is one of those guys who gets a nice contract because of the fact he is a starting pitcher and there always seems to be a lack of those in the free agent market. It drives me crazy how average pitchers get big contracts because they are pitchers and not because they have much of a history of success and random other players get huge contracts because of one great year (*cough* Adrian Beltre *cough*).

:o You should've called the cops.

Cops probably would have thrown me in jail for complaining. Everybody in Aberdeen thinks they're royalty or something because of that friggin' Ripken clan. No wonder they think everybody in town has 5 bucks to shell out for 3 dollar beer.

"Oh, I'm sorry, you mean I'm in Aberdeen? Well, la-tee-effing-dah"...........................................

"Hello, law office of Andrew Dosa? I'm in kind of a situation here."

My first argument:

But officers, my client is so nonchalant about everything. He'd never get exercised about overpriced beer. His name is shruggo, not sluggo. You have the wrong man. And officers, you can trust me, I was born here . . . .
This is a family man. Consider this. His son has half a pair of shoes of Daniel Cabrera.

Needs a little work, but it is a start.