It took only a few billion dollars, a disgraced player on steroids and a series MVP who still doesn't speak English, but the Yankees have finally scratched out another World Series for themselves. Joe Torre is long gone, but ever since the Yankees choked against the Arizona Diamondbacks, it's been a long string of getting there, but not getting all the way. But now Steinbrenner bought himself another World Series trophy.

What's it worth? Mainly it's worth what season ticket holders and merchandise sellers of official Yankees gear and memorabilia will pay for it. The romance has gone out of Baseball and while the steroid hearings played the clinching part in it, it began even earlier. The winning Yankees team is a good demonstration of why baseball stopped being America's game, why the old romantic images of hard working hitters and pitchers has been replaced by huge contracts, steroids and a global hunt for any player who can fill a gap.

American Baseball has become a bad joke and the Yankees are emblematic of the worst of it. Which is why few people outside New York and Tokyo will be celebrating the Yankees win.