Safest New York Sports Jerseys to Buy

Santana Moss, Jonathan Vilma, Chad Pennington and Kerry Rhodes. Those are the names on the backs of the four Jets jerseys hanging in my closet. None of those players are currently on the Jets roster, therefore, I will have to spend another $80 on a Jets jersey before their season opener on September 13th. 

Which player’s jersey does my $80 deserve to go toward? Well, have you ever heard of the saying there’s “no such thing as a sure bet?” In the landscape of sports today, it’s not often a player spends his entire career with one team. Here one year and gone the next. There are, however, a number of players that do spend their entire careers with one team, but it is a small percentage of the total number of athletes in each sport. There are a number of reasons for this, but that’s neither here nor there. The intention of this article is to address the jerseys that you can count on being able to wear for the next five years and hopefully beyond. You could always buy a Lawrence Taylor, Willis Reed or Mickey Mantle jersey to be extremely safe, but I’m talking about the jerseys of more current and active players.

When precisely picking a jersey, some factors should be considered such as the player’s current length of contract, relationship with the organization, and character (on and off the field). Other factors to consider are depth at the player’s position and the player’s age. Buying a jersey is not a cheap investment so you want to make sure you will be able to get years of usage out of it. 

In most cases, the future is more important than the past. Take A-Rod for example. Performance-enhancing drugs aside, he’s a good Yankees jersey to buy. He’ll end his career as a New York Yankee once his contract expires when he’s 42-years old. It’s not that big of a deal that he played for two different teams before becoming a Yankee. That shouldn’t be a deterrent to buying his jersey. 

The following is as sure as they come when picking the right active player jersey of your favorite team.

New York Yankees
I want to preface this section by saying that Yankees jerseys should never be bought with names on the back of them. If you have a nameless #25 jersey that you bought when Jason Giambi joined the team in 2002, you can still be wearing that jersey today because it’s the jersey of the Yankees’ current first baseman, Mark Teixeira.

It’s easy to compose a list of jerseys that are safe to buy when it comes to the Yankees. Let’s take it one step further and put them in order, starting with the absolute safest to buy. 

• 1A) Alex Rodriguez – He’s under contract until he’s 42-years old and is the highest paid player in the game. After his post-season performance in 2009, he has become the safest Yankees’ jersey to purchase. 
• 1B) Derek Jeter – He’s not the absolute safest because his contract expires after 2010, but he’ll be back in pinstripes until he retires. Once he signs a contract next off-season, then he’ll become the number one safest Yankees’ jersey to buy. 
• 2A) Jorge Posada – Although not a very “sexy” jersey to buy, Posada has spent his entire career with the Yankees and will probably be hanging his cleats up after a few more years.
• 2B) Mariano Rivera – Similar to Jeter, Mariano’s contract expires after 2010, but he’ll re-sign. Depending on how long he wants to pitch, the Yankees will find a way to make it work with Rivera. Also, you can’t go wrong with having the number 42 on the back of a Yankees jersey since some players choose to wear number 42 on Jackie Robinson day. I have this jersey and it’s my favorite jersey to have.
• 3) Mark Teixeira – He signed an 8-year deal last year so you can figure on being able to wear his jersey for at least seven more years.
• 4) CC Sabathia – CC signed a 7-year deal before 2009 and is a work-horse. You’re safe with his jersey for at least the next six years. 

Basically, you can’t go wrong with buying most nameless Yankee jerseys. You could always go with a classic and buy a Mantle, Gehrig, or Ruth jersey among many other former Yankee greats. Bernie Williams’ jerseys is a great one to have, as is Paul O’Neil’s. The numbers 2, 13, 20, and 42 will become classic Yankee jerseys in the future.  

Buyer Beware: Jesus Montero
He is one of the Yankees’ top prospects, but for the right player, the Yankees aren’t afraid to trade top-level prospects for proven major leaguers.

Out Of The Ordinary: Phil Hughes
You see some Hughes jerseys, but not frequently. He’ll be on the major league roster in some form, whether as a starter or in the bullpen, and has a bright future as a Yankees no matter which role they place him in.

My Pick: Mariano Rivera
Rivera is a “can never go wrong” pick for a Yankee fan. He will be the last MLB player in history with #42 on his back due to the league retiring the number throughout the sport in tribute to Jackie Robinson.

New York Mets
David Wright is the best bet here. He’s young, a fan favorite, and a perennial All-Star. He signed a 6-year contract extension in 2006. After Wright, Johan Santana is the next best. He’s their ace and a proven veteran. After being traded from the Twins, Santana signed a 6-year deal with the Mets in 2008. Next is newly acquired left fielder Jason Bay. His bat was a much needed addition to the Mets lineup and he’ll soon become a fan favorite for what he does in the middle of the order.

But what about after Wright, Santana and Bay? Are Beltran and Reyes the next two or does Francisco Rodriguez supplant them due to their injury problems and troubles with the team? If this were two years ago, Beltran and Reyes would have been nearly even with Wright.

Buyer Beware: Jose Reyes
I’m not sold that he will last his entire career with the Mets.

Out Of The Ordinary: K-Rod
He’s going to save a ton of games on a good team. As long as he remains healthy, he’ll be effective.

My Pick: David Wright
He’s a respectable person with a great attitude that shows up to play hard everyday. You can’t go wrong with a player like that.

New York Giants
For Giants fans, you can’t go wrong with an Eli Manning jersey. He’s the franchise quarterback and is not going to be cut or traded any time soon. He agreed to a 6-year deal last summer. Steve Smith had a heck of a year in 2009 and has become their number one receiver. Tight end Kevin Boss has replaced Jeremy Shockey nicely and was a key part of the team when they made the Super Bowl run a few years back. Justin Tuck is a beast at defensive end and could be worth a buy.

Buyer Beware: Osi Umenyiora
Will he stay or will he go?

Out Of The Ordinary: Hakeem Nicks
Nicks is entering his second season in the league and will continue to grow and develop into a viable target for Eli Manning.

My Pick: Steve Smith
Smith had a breakout year in 2009 and his connection with Eli Manning will turn him into the Giants’ number one receiving threat for a long time.

New York Jets
It starts with either Mark Sanchez or Darrelle Revis for Jets fans. Obviously Sanchez is the safest pick among the Jets because he is their franchise quarterback entering his second year, but Revis is a close second due to him being one of the top cornerbacks in the NFL and a favorite of head coach Rex Ryan. Revis is due for a payday very soon and of all the players, he’ll be the first the Jets will work with. 

The Jets have a lot of young, talented players that could be worth a buy if you don’t want the name on your back to blend in with the rest in 2010. Tight end Dustin Keller, center Nick Mangold, and running back Shonn Greene are also worth a buy.

Buyer Beware: LaDainian Tomlinson
Tomlinson could turn out to be a major bust for the Jets. He turns 31-years old in June and didn’t have a great season with the Chargers in 2009.

Out Of The Ordinary: Jim Leonhard
Leonhard’s hard work makes up for what he lacks in physical attributes and athleticism.

My Pick: David Harris
Rex loves his defenders and Harris is a major contributor at middle linebacker. He’s going to be a Jet for a long time as long as Rex Ryan has his say. The Jets had the opportunity to trade for Brandon Marshall last summer, a much needed receiver, but didn’t because the Broncos were asking for Harris in return.

New York Knicks
You probably will want to wait until the summer to buy a Knicks jersey. That’s when the Knicks may lure in a big-time free agent. If LeBron James chooses the Knicks this summer, his jersey will become the best selling jersey in all of sports. But if you had to get one now, the two best bets are either Danilo Gallinari or Wilson Chandler. Along with rookie guard Toney Douglas, Gallo and Chandler are the only players that are under contract for next year. Eddy Curry is too, but he is Eddy Curry. Hopefully the Knicks will buy him out before free agency. Gallo and Chandler are the young nucleus that team president Donnie Walsh is going to build around in free agency. 

Nate Robinson was a fan favorite and he was traded to the Celtics. David Lee is a fan favorite, but depending on what happens in free agency, he may not be back with the Knicks next year. Recently acquired players like Tracy McGrady, Eddie House, Sergio Rodriguez and Bill Walker will all be free agents this summer and like David Lee, it’s uncertain whether they will return due to many variables. 

Buyer Beware: Anyone not under contract for next season
The Knicks may have a complete turnover in players other than Gallo, Chandler and Douglas.

Out Of The Ordinary: Toney Dougles
He’s a rookie and should become a nice role player for the team in the future.

My Pick: Wait!
Hold off until free agents sign this summer.

There you have it. I hope this helps during an economic climate where spending $80 on a jersey will need to last you for years.