The recent steroid controversy has certainly opened up some interesting debates, probably the biggest of which will be Hall of Fame scrutiny, something we are most definitely going to have to deal with when the biggest and best sluggers of the 90s are eligible to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Mark McGwire is the biggest of such names, whose direct connection to Jose Canseco and eye-popping seasons late in his career make him almost the exact opposite of the media darling he was in 1998.

At the end of the 20^th century, Major League Baseball compiled an All-Century Team, a team that compiled the 30 best players in Major League history in which baseball writers, officials, broadcasters and fans were able to participate in the voting to determine which players were the best at their respective positions. Taking the game by storm in the late 1990s, Mark McGwire was named to this team as the first basemen along with New York Yankees legend Lou Gehrig. Now it's up to debate as to whether or not McGwire should even be inducted into the Hall of Fame. With 583 career home runs, placing him seventh on the all-time home run list, I think Mark McGwire without a doubt should be inducted.

I've stated within this column before that I can't allow the steroid debate to skew my decision on players too much, for the simple fact that there is no way to accurately measure the effect performance-enhancing supplements have had on the game. With the recently approved and more strict steroid policy in Major League Baseball, Commissioner Bud Selig has recently said that he's willing to make a notation in the record books if such a formula can be devised, but I think even he knows such a task is impossible to quantify. Therefore, unless I'm on the fence in trying to decide whether a player is worthy of Hall of Fame consideration, the steroid debate would not have an affect on my decision.

However, I did and still would argue against McGwire's placement on the All-Century Team, regardless of the steroid issue. As noted above, he was the most popular player to select at the end of the 20^th century, who at the time seemed as though he would surpass Hank Aaron's all-time home run mark. Yes, two first basemen did make the list, but McGwire is not even the second-best of all-time. That honor has to go to Jimmie Foxx, one of the most underrated sluggers of the 20^th century. He currently stands 41^st all-time in career batting average (.325), 11^th in on-base percentage (.428), sixth in slugging (.609), 14^th in home runs (534), and seventh in RBIs (1922). McGwire only finishes in the top 10 all-time in home runs (583) and slugging percentage (.588), and didn't even sniff the top 50 in the other categories. Eddie Murray was a much better all-around hitter, while Hank Greenberg and Harmon Killebrew offered almost as much power. And if Albert Pujols continues the hit as he has in his first five seasons, it won't be long until his name is mentioned in this debate as well.

That is definitely the most glaring inclusion on the All-Century team. The next biggest would be Ken Griffey Jr., who at the time seemed like a sure bet to retire as one of Major League Baseball's greatest all-time players, likely breaking Hank Aaron's all-time home run mark in the process. Injuries have drastically derailed Griffey's career much like they did McGwire's, and since then Barry Bonds has assumed the role of one of the game's all-time greatest players, arguably second only to Babe Ruth, despite steroid controversy surrounding him as well.

Talent in the outfield was well-represented, and of course there are always going to be arguments of who should have made the team and who shouldn't. It's hard not seeing Frank Robinson's name on the list, who is one of the most underrated players of all-time. While he is a Hall of Famer, his name is rarely brought up as one of the best sluggers ever to play the game.

A few other positions are more debatable as to whom should or shouldn't be represented. Jackie Robinson certainly paved the way for African American ballplayers and changed the game for the better forever, but his placement means no Joe Morgan (Rogers Hornsby was the other second baseman, and you can't remove his name from the list as one of the greatest all-time hitters). Brooks Robinson was added for his leadership and defense over Eddie Matthews and George Brett. Nine pitchers were represented, a list that doesn't include Steve Carlton, Tom Seaver and Greg Maddux.

So, I'm going to offer my own All-Century Team, although with a few caveats. The first being the easiest: I have to pick one player at each position. However, there will be a distinction made between left, center and right field. I will pick one and only one player from each decade, trying to keep in mind the best players at their respective positions of that decade and from all-time, while trying not to be biased by my own personal favorites. This will give me 10 positions to choose from, as I will pick one player at each position, and two pitchers, a righty and a lefty.

This list is to be provided next week since it is going to be a lengthy column on it's own. I invite any and all to submit their own list, as I would be happy to share the most popular names in a first, second and third team if enough people contribute. Stay tuned for next week's edition, and don't forget your reading glasses.

I'd like to offer special thanks to my brother Dave for fueling the ideas behind this column.