Today's links were randomly generated using Cold War-era technology, giving them a crunchy yumminess you just can't get with modern equipment … • Hot Foot's Andrew Beaton interviews Tim Marchman, who's probably just a couple of years away from taking my job (assuming, of course, that he wants it). • In Driveline Mechanics' Stupid Position Battle, we learn 1) that Nick Swisher should be playing every day, and 2) that Swisher is nearly as valuable as Manny Ramirez. Argue with Driveline Mechanics at your peril! • In his (marginally) Hall of Fame career, Jim Bunning never finished better than fourth in his league in complete games. Now, though? The manager and the pitching coach and a couple of umpires will have to wrestle him off the mound. • On Thursday I mentioned that Moises Alou, even at 42, can probably still hit. If healthy, he'd make a great pinch-hitter in the National League. But Alou doesn't want to play unless he can play regularly, so it looks like he's quitting after the World Baseball Classic. Anyway, it's been some career; look closely and tell me he didn't have Hall of Fame-level talent. • Peter Abraham talks to a hip guy -- I don't mean a guy who's hip; I mean a guy who knows a lot about hips -- and things don't look good for A-Rod. • As Tracy Ringolsby writes, the Rockies recently "renewed" three of their pre-arbitration players, all of whom are Scott Boras clients and refused to sign the offered contracts. Why?

The Rockies have a very stringent pay scale for pre-arbitration eligible players, and they are consistent with that approach. Boras does not agree with the philosophy and prefers to have his clients not agree to the contract as a matter of principle.

Which "principle" is that, exactly? I don't mean that rhetorically. … I really want to know. • In this interview, Dayton Moore seems to put a great deal of stock in Mike Jacobs', Kyle Farnsworth's, and Willie Bloomquist's experiences in pennant races. It's a novel way of building a team, for sure. If it works, I may be forced to revisit everything I thought I knew about winning baseball. • Video of the Week: Artie Lange on Bob Uecker and Harry Caray.