Dec. 30 -- HAPPY NEW YEAR!

The clock is ticking toward 2008, so I wanted to take a few minutes and wish y'all a happy, safe New Year. And, since it's been a predictably light week around baseball, I thought I'd freshen up The Blog with a few thoughts that have been rattling around in my head for the past few days.

1. Funny story out of Boston: Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon is insisting the baseball he used to record the final out of the World Series was torn apart by his dog. Sounds like something Brett Myers might say, doesn't it? Oh, wait, Myers is a starter again. I agreed with the Phillies' decision to put Myers back in the rotation, an idea I began kicking around in print in August after glancing at the list of free agents. But it's impossible to deny that Myers has the high-energy personality and temperament of the stereotypical closer. So, if Brad Lidge doesn't recover his dominant form of 2005, or if Myers doesn't win 18-20 games, would it really surprise you to see Myers back in the closer role in 2009?

2. The Mets' search for pitching apparently has led them to Jon Lieber.

3. Give the Phillies credit for swiftly and adequately replacing Aaron Rowand with Geoff Jenkins and So Taguchi. Certainly, any lineup that looks like this -- 1. Jimmy Rollins, SS; 2. Shane Victorino/Taguchi, CF; 3. Chase Utley, 2B; 4. Ryan Howard, 1B; 5. Pat Burrell, LF; 6. Jenkins/Jayson Werth, RF; 7. Greg Dobbs/Wes Helms, 3B; 8. Carlos Ruiz/Chris Coste, C -- is capable of flirting with 900 runs. But, before anyone re-anoints the Phils as NL East champs, they absolutely must add at least one pitcher before spring training. Akinori Otsuka, anyone? Anyone? The guy had 32 saves and a 2.11 ERA in 2006, then posted a 2.51 ERA in 2007 despite elbow problems that KO'd him for the final three months of the season. So, unless Otsuka's elbow is in a state of terrible disrepair, he'd be a nice gamble for a pitching-needy team like, say, the Phillies, wouldn't he?

4. Here's hoping Goose Gossage, Jim Rice and Bert Blyleven find their way into the Hall of Fame. They deserve to be there, and they shouldn't have had to wait this long. That reminds me of something Gary Carter asked me in 2002, when it began looking like he'd get into Cooperstown after many years of falling short. He wondered how the HOF candidacy of a player who has been retired for more than a decade can suddenly improve. I explained that it has nothing to do with the player. It simply means enough voting members of the Baseball Writers Association of America changed their minds -- or, perhaps, did more research on a particular player and believe more strongly in his HOF worthiness.

5. 46 days until pitchers and catchers report to Clearwater.

Happy New Year, everyone.