Quick hits for Monday morning:

Watched the 60 Minutes bit on Canseco last night, and my favorite quote was from writer Howard Bryant: “What we’re learning [through all the sturm und drang perpetuated by Jose’s book, Juiced] is that Mark McGwire has a lot more friends than Jose Canseco.” I’d also like to point out how awesome Bryant was as Marcellus Wallace in Pulp Fiction.

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Whenever a baseball player invokes God in a post-game interview, I typically tune out. I make the exception for Bill Mueller. In a game packed with narcissists and buffoonigans, he seems a truly nice, nice, nice guy, and I can totally picture him making little sack lunches for all his teammates before a west coast flight. His recent knee surgery concerns me, but he’s expected to be there for opening day. Get well soon, Billy.

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Great piece by Chris Snow in yesterday’s Globe:

If healthy, Miller has the talent to be a No. 1 starter. If healthy, Mantei is capable of throwing 97 m.p.h. If healthy, Wells can win 15-plus games, compile a sub-4.00 ERA, and pitch 200 innings. If healthy, Mueller is capable of giving the Sox great at-bats, hitting between .280 and .310, and driving in 60-80 runs.

If many more sentences begin with “if healthy,” this could be a long season.

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Sunday’s post by Evan Brunell at Firebrand of the AL links to some truly bizarre — and absolutely hilarious — Korean cartoons recapping the 2004 ALDS, ALCS, and World Series. Check them out at once, and ask yourself: What does it all mean?!?

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I’ve never forgiven The Grammy Awards for its 2003 edition, which occured shortly after the tragedy at The Station nightclub and included not one single mention of the 100 music fans who perished. Last night’s ceremony was equally lame, but it proved two significant points: Franz Ferdinand is the most over-rated band since The Strokes, and there is no one on God’s green earth cuter than Gwen Stefani.

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Next week, NESN revisits the 2004 World Series. Two weeks from Thursday, NESN presents its first 2005 Spring Training game, against Minnesota at 7:00pm. Giddeyup!

…Oh, and Happy Valentines Day.