I think we'll have to agree to disagree over there being a "steady decline" in MLB over the last decade. I don't think the US's participation in any kind of world tournament is necessarily a fair reflection of their strength vs the rest of the world-although I readily admit the gap has narrowed-for a couple of reasons: first, the MLB season is, I believe, the longest of any professional league as it is, and most players simply aren't accustomed to being in top form in what was formerly the offseason or early in spring training. Secondly, and more importantly, to pretend that the tournament means as much to the typical MLB player as it does to virtually any of their counterparts is to be naive. I'm not saying it's right, but that's just the way it is, and, narrowing gap nothwithstanding, MLB is the standard by which players all over the world measure themselves by. Comparing the performance of MLB players who play elsewhere is rarely a good measuring stick, since the player in question in almost always past his prime and trying to hang onto the game. Foreign players coming in THIS direction have had a fair amount of success, Itchy-Balls being the most prominent example-but there've been more than a few flops, too-the Yanks signing of I-ROB-U being a prime example. And, for having to pay 50 mill just to have the right to talk to him, I can't say I was overly impressed with Dice K. The Sox may not have two good starters (and, btw, I don't recall any teams having THREE good starters in the time you mentioned, except maybe the Braves, and one WS in a strike shortened year in all those years doesn't exactly bolster your those-were-the-best-of-times argument), but I don't recall too many combos more lethal than Popi and Man Ram (not to mention the team's RBI leader, Lowell), and the team has obviously demonstrated an ability to play their best when they need it the most, a not insignificant quality.
As for your comments about the Rockies and the Sox, don't get me wrong, I picked the Rockies last night and in Game One, and I thought they had a chance. I was wrong. You made it sound, however, as if the Series should've been along the lines of the '98 WS between the Yanks and the Padres-and that the Rocks were the Yanks-but that the Rocks went on some kind of walkabout and donated the Series to the Sox. That's what I mainly took exception to. It's been an entertaining season, and we've had a very competitive era-never before were 7 different WS winners in as many years-a streak that is obviously about to come to an end. One man's parity is another's mediocrity, I guess...