Today's links were run through a shredder, then reassembled with a DeShredder (patent pending). … • Patrick DiCraprio runs through the 10 ugliest uniforms of the 1970s … or rather, his 10 ugliest uniforms. Actually, I like most of them. • Question of the day: Which contract was more dunderheaded: Gary Matthews' five-year, $50 million deal or Juan Pierre's five years and $44 million? At the moment, Matthews is doing his best to win that contest. • Bob Timmermann reviews a good-looking new baseball book, and Allen Barra reviews a bunch of them. • Via Joe Posnanski, Bill James on the history and the future of newspapers. Bill on the current transition: "It's hard, but it's not a bad thing. It's a good thing." Well, maybe. Bill knows this, of course, but it's a bad thing for most of the people losing their jobs. And I don't think we know it's a good thing, yet. What it is, is irreversible. The death of newspapers as we know them now seems inevitable, and the Internet is the murderer. I have no doubt that good things will result, along with bad things. All we can do is hope that in the long run, the former outweigh the latter. • Ben Nicholson-Smith looks at the remaining free agents. Unlike a month ago, there's just ain't much left (though Ray Durham could probably help somebody). • Batting the pitcher eighth is actually a pretty good idea. But this headline rocks. • If you've ever played Strat-O-Matic -- and especially the version with dice and paper cards -- you have to read this (and if you don't have "time," just check out Ken Phelps' card). • Nationals Farm Authority defenestrates Tom Boswell's case against signing Stephen Strasburg. • Everyone who complains about kids not playing baseball "for fun" anymore should read this.