Fans to decide the All-Decade Teams!

Voting per club, then per league, to begin in February.


If you think it's hard to vote on deserving All-Stars every summer, then just wait until later this offseason, when MLB.com will call upon fans to decide on the All-Decade Teams at every position for the American and National Leagues.

In early February, MLB.com will get things started by rolling out the All-Decade Teams for all 30 clubs. Expect loud debate, as these All-Decade Team members will comprise the AL and NL All-Decade Team ballots, which will be open for the duration of February. Fans will be asked to vote for all eight defensive positions, as well as a starter, reliever and setup man.

After the votes have been tallied, MLB.com will gradually announce the teams by position during the Spring Training exhibition schedule.

It will be a distinctly fun and unique transition from an exciting, transformational and wild decade into a new one drenched in spring optimism. Here are just some of the impossible decisions you can expect to face.

AL starting pitcher: Johan Santana went 103-44 with the Twins, winning two Cy Young Awards, more than any AL pitcher of the decade. But the decade closes with the focus on Roy Halladay's longtime dominance for Toronto -- he's MLB's winningest pitcher since 2000. Josh Beckett won World Series titles with Florida and Boston, the former as World Series MVP. Mark Buehrle threw two no-hitters (one of them a perfect game) and won a championship as a member of the White Sox in 2005. Pedro Martinez had a magnificent run with Boston from 2000 to 2004 that featured a Cy Young Award and a curse-ending World Series title. And Andy Pettitte won more AL games than anyone, 144 -- pitching in four Fall Classics (not including 2005, with Houston).

AL second baseman: Hey, Yankees fans, do you like Alfonso Soriano or Robinson Cano? Right now you're probably thinking the latter, as he just helped the Bombers win it all in the last year of the decade. But look again at Soriano's numbers with the Yankees and Rangers through 2005, before he switched leagues, moving to the Nationals and later the Cubs. Roberto Alomar earned the last of 12 consecutive All-Star selections in 2001, and although his greatness was mostly before the decade, just remember that he could be named as a Hall of Fame first-ballot inductee on Jan. 6, and thus be top of mind for those voting on this ballot.

NL third baseman: Scott Rolen or David Wright? The former won a Gold Glove in five of the first six years of the decade, starting with the Phillies before a 2002 midseason trade to the Cardinals. With St. Louis, Rolen hit 111 homers and led the club to the 2006 title. The latter has become the Mets' franchise player and Rolen's successor to the All-Star throne. But what about Atlanta's Chipper Jones, who hit more homers than the other candidates? In addition, Aramis Ramirez was a Cubs fixture during the decade.

NL shortstop: Don't get us started on this one. Jimmy Rollins? Hanley Ramirez? Jose Reyes? Rafael Furcal? Ramirez might be the best overall player of the bunch right now, but remember -- this is a 10-year span you're deciding. The ballot will include some who have faded yet must get the same consideration as those who played in the decade's late years.

AL catcher: Jorge Posada, right? Hey, there are a lot of Pudge Rodriguez fans out there, including a bunch in Detroit and Texas who are going to be thinking about him. Then again, there are some NL fans who might vote for him, too. He might cancel himself out. That is the peril of having been a league-trotter in that decade. Posada might have an advantage right there. Maybe.

That is only the start of the discussion. There will surely be plenty more candidates in these categories and the others. In February, fans will be abuzz with the impending arrival of pitchers and catchers to Spring Training camps, and everyone will be looking forward to Opening Day and hoping that their team can contend.

But before everyone gets down to business, there will be some leftover work to be done, choosing the best from 2000 to 2009. It will be fun. It will be difficult. It will be necessary.

That's your homework. Something to think about over the winter.