Well, I think it's safe to say at least a few of the players on this team will be around for a while. So:

Crisp
Ortiz
Papelbon
Tek
Wake
Beckett
Youkilis
(Delcarmen)
(Hansen)
(Pedroia)

I might bite the bullet this year and get a jersey. But, which one would be best? Toss your ideas into the ring.

If I were a Marlins fan, I'd have a Hanley jersey right now. I might go get one anyway!

I went with Papi. It'll most likely be good for the foreseeable future.

BTW, I have a Adam Vinatieri jersey for sale, cheap.

Hmm. As a Dolphins fan, it'd be fun to patch some horse shoes to it and right "Ha ha!" on it with a Sharpie...

I consider myself a jersey snob. My first rule of thumb when it comes to customization is to avoid the flash in the pan, kneejerk reaction. This rules out the rookies and young players.

My second rule is longevity with the club. Wake, Nixon and Tek fall into this category.

My third rule is historic impact. Schill and Papi fit into this one.

Manny falls somewhere in between 2 and 3.

There's a chance Trot's not back next year, so based on your list, my suggestion is to go with Tek.

A quick anecdote: I had a friend who rushed to get a Varitek away shirt. However, this was before Rod Beck joined the sox and as such, he is one of the few people in the world to still have a Varitek shirt with the number 47.

Among my jersey collection there are shirts for Neely, Bourque, Orr, Fisk, Hannah and Bird. I can wear them without having to worry about their legacies being tarnished.

hmmm...I definitely need to put more thought into my wardrobe decisions.

Legendary jerseys are always a good way to go....trust me. I've bitten the bullet on Nomar and Pedro jerseys...sucks to have them now.

Teddy Ballgame...Yaz...Fisk...stick to the guys with the legacies.

I was thinking about getting a 9 or 21 jersey. But, that 21 certainly is dependant on the next few months.

I don't think Papelbon will be going anywhere, or Beckett. I have the utmost respect for Wakefield.

It's a big decision! I have a grand total of zero baseball jerseys, just football ones from years back. The last jersey I bought was Junior Seau 2 days after he was traded to the Dolphins. That's spiffy. I had a Chargers Seau jersey and needed the Dolphins one to feel good about myself.

I think someone asked this last year. (dag perhaps?) The 34 is a real safe bet. 24 isn't bad either because it's Manny and Dewey.

I have a 9 Cooperstown that of course will be good for a while.



I also have an authentic Thornton jersey that can go for next to nothing.

I have never understood all the Ted Williams jerseys... the guy was a jerk. There's a lot I respect about him, and a lot I like... but I would never ever buy a Ted Williams jersey. I think its funny how so many people buy him for his historical importance when they are probably the same people who would have booed and hated him when he played... why is this so overlooked? People seem to associate him with some sort of ideal - old baseball, the roots of the game, etc...

Then again, Im mystified anyone can cheer for that steroid bloated idiot on the Giants. They really think the national media picks on him too! Its astounding. There's another great player who was a jerk, booed everywhere... Though Bonds is way WAY below Ted in my book, dont want anyone to think that he's not...

I would definitely do Yaz or Fisk over Teddy Ballgame.

It does NOT suck to have a Pedro jersey now! Sometimes it makes me sad when I realize I will never see anyone pitch as well as he did for a couple years here... seriously...

...never been a Nomar hater, happy to see him go at the end... but he played his heart out every day (until that last season I guess)

...and let me say there are really only two choices if you dont have one... #33 and #34... The captain and the big man never dissapoint...

I couldn't decide on who's jersey to get last year so I just got a blank one and I might sew a number on the back of it sometime but I like it.

also... can we get Paps a new frickin number already??? I dont want the one he's in now hanging from the right field facade! (Kidding! ... maybe...).

Just curious as to how many of you own the "authentic" $200.00 version of the jerseys and how much nicer are they then the other ones?

I think you have to go with someone who is signed for at least a few more years and who you don't forsee being traded. Papelbon would be a good choice because it'll be awhile before he's eligible to be a free agent.

I personally couldn't resist the Ortiz Jersey with the 2004 World Series patch.

On a side note at a game in Baltimore earlier this year there was someone wearing a Red Sox jersey with the name "Fluke" and the number 04. I still can't figure out if it was a Red Sox fan or a Red Sox hater.

Right. And if for some reason they ever traded Papelbon I'll no longer want a sox jersey anyway...

Well posted this in another board, but as I just had my 33rd birthday, I made sure that a Varitek road jersey was in my list of gift ideas. Low and behold I got it. I also own another gameworn Bill Fischer(pitching coach) road jersey from the 88 season, which was fortunate enough to have #34 (blue block/no name). I absolutely love it.

As for hating it because one may have a #5 on their jersey, I think this couldn't be more off the mark. IMO Nomar gave it his all while here, then left with class after the trade. He didn't leave for money then trash the team (GFY #18). I have no problem in still wearing my #5 jersey proundly to games.






I own both and find the authentic jersey to be hands down nicer.

I have a Ted Williams red tee shirt with his name and number on it and I love it. Obviously they didn't have the Williams jersey back then in red but I still like the color. Williams is one of the best players in Sox history and the best Sox player to play his whole career in Boston. One of the best pure hitters in the history of baseball. He was a jerk because people treated him like crap when he first got here. Williams also took time out of his career to fight in wars (twice) so I think a little more went into his character than being mean to a couple of people in the media. Career batting average of .344 with 521 HRs is why I love the guy. Williams also held the record for OBP for a long time with .553 in 1941. Oh yeah and he has the red seat in RF (which Manny may have beaten) marking the longest HR in Fenway stadium.

I actually can't believe that a Red Sox fan doens't like Ted Williams.

That's a peeve that probably belongs in the "What Annoys You" thread but I similarly can't stand the modern Bruins jerseys with Bobby Orr's name and number on them. Different era people.

Go with the retired players unless you are like 14 and have no idea who fisk or yaz is.

My only gripe is that I cannot find shirts for some of my favorite players from before, such as lynn, scott, burleson, miller as in rick, carbo, seibert, culp, lonborg, stanley, and of course conigliaro.


Now that is a wardrobe my friends.

I believe, though I could be wrong that he made a Wily Mo-esque play and got booed... and spurned the fans for the next twenty years for it.

The other things you said were the things I meant I liked about him... Im just saying he was a jerk... most sox fans(or lets say Bostonians) werent that fond of him back then, read old newspapers...

Im not going to glorify a jerk just b/c he was a phenomenal hitter(though I still do despite myself... he was unbelievable). I dont like Hornsby or Bonds either. Give me Yaz any day.

I saw him too. He was a hater (or a loser) or both. Hey, he spent his money on a sox shirt, so there's that benefit going, which is nice.

I knew that some people wouldn't like it but honestly I love the red jerseys and Im a huge Williams fan.

This probably belongs elsewhere but since we got on the topic of Williams and the fans I found this on the ESPN Sportscentury bio:

There is a Lynn '75 M&N Jersey.

I would love to have # 23 jersey, with El Tiante on the back. It would have to be a vintage jersey. In memory of that October in 1975.

I always go with authentic jerseys. There is a difference between the baseball authentic and replica jerseys, although not nearly the difference between replica and authentic football jerseys.

The difference on the type of material is a little better with authentic, but the real difference I notice is with the lettering. I have a road Wakefield jersey and on the back the name is stitched onto a nameplate. The replica jersey lettering isn’t as big nor is it on a name plate and in my opinion looks a bit sloppy. Moreover, the numbers and letters don’t have the border on the replica. Also, I believe the authentic jerseys have the MLB logo at the base of the neck.

You probably wouldn’t notice as much on a home jersey unless you placed a replica and an authentic side by side, but once you see the difference it's hard not to notice.

What's wrong with 58? I like it. And what would you change it to?

As for the jersey - I'd say Ortiz, Beckett, or Crisp. We know for sure that two of them will be with us through the end of the decade, and I'd be shocked if Beckett isn't.

You can certainly notice the authentic and replica home jerseys. The authentic have the blue border around the name and numbers, the reps don't. It's stupid looking.

I don't plan on buying one, just beating up someone who has one that's roughly my size.

Get an blank backed authentic jersey and find an embroidery place that specializes in baseball/softball jerseys and have them stitch the number on. That's what I did for a few of mine, it's cheaper and exactly the same if you find the right place.

I agree with whomever said get a 'legend' jersey. I have three authentic pinstripe jerseys I know I'll never tire of, Rivera, Ford, and Mantle. No one will ever wear those numbers again so the players go without saying - unless I'm dealing with the occasional pinhead who tells me in complete seriousness that 'the Yankees have no one wearing #7.'

I have a couple of those majestic jerseys from players that I liked, most of them I got cheap after they had moved on or I found on clearance racks. O'Neill, Tino, Gehrig, and Righetti - unfortunately Tino and Gehrig have names on the back so I don't wear them much.

Last piece of advice, don't get them autographed - it's pointless. My Ford and O'Neill jersey's are signed and I can't wear them for fear of spilling something and being unable to wash them. In retrospect it was a dumb thing to do but I framed them so they still look good.

I know I'm usng Yanks as an example bt I think the points apply to Sox jerseys as well. Go with someone famous if you're planning on spending a bunch of money.

If I was choosing I'd say Williams. Having read enough about him I don't think he was nearly as big a jerk as people seem to think, arrogant and sarcastic, certainly - but it doesn't make him a jerk. He was unmercifully attacked by the press for everything. Lack of clutch hitting, lack of carrying the team, lack of leadership, etc, etc. Sort of an A-Rod type lightning rod for criticism regardless of his numbers. Dave Egan in particular was just brutal about Williams, he probably did more to ruin Ted's reputation than anyone out there. I feel somewhat bad for the guy to be honest. Were I a Sox fan that's undoubtedly the jersey I'd want.

Well, he's also the greatest Red Sox to play his whole career here.

Since the Yankees don't have names on the backs of their jerseys, it isn't an issue, but a lot of us (myself included) choose the road grays for our uniforms because we can get the names on the back. The Sox won't sell a road gray with any of the retired numbers and names on the back, if that is important to the buyer.

I got a Wakefield jersey with the 04 WS patch on it, and I love it.

Rich Garces would be a pretty awesome obscure jersey to get. I don't remember his number, but still. I miss El Guapo.

Garces was #34, so it'd have to be a road jersey- and even then you'd probably get some dumb questions form people that jumped on the bandwagon in '04.

It's such a tough call, I've wanted to take the plunge and get a $200 authentic jersey myself, but, aside from the obvious desire not to be banished to the couch for a week by Mrs. Shaype, I don't want to shell out that kind of coin to see a guy traded or leave as a free agent.

Right now I have a bunch of the Red Sox T-'s you can get at Olympia Sports- I think Mrs. Shaype keeps buying them for me so I won't get a real one. I have a Pedro replica that I've had since 2000 and is showing it's age.

I think I'd go with Papelbon, though Wake, Papi, 'Tek, and Coco seem to be safe long term bets. I think Timlin will retire as a Sox, so maybe that route can be taken as well?

I'd like to get an old school '86 style Oil Can Boyd road jersey, even though the names weren't on the back... OCB was a childhood favorite.

Tough choices, bro..... good luck.




I've got a Circa 1998 Bledsoe AND a 2001 Ty Law!

Yeah, I've got an authentic 98 Bledsoe away (white) authentic that I got for $75 at the Pats proshop. I wore in Houston during the superbowl, but it rarely gets dusted off anymore.

It stands as my one bad custom jersey purchase.

I have a # 34 jersey with "El Guapo" on the back, it's my favorite. here's a cool web site if you need to know a red sox players #.

http://www.redsoxdiehard.com/players/unifnums.html

AMEN to the wardrobe sentiment.
Lynn, Rice, Fisk and Boggs jerseys are available at Mitchell & Ness (along with Yaz and Teddy). Of course they're $250 a pop. The others are next to impossible to find from my experience

You can buy the authentic Jersey's at Twins and then they will put any # and/or name on it that you want

This being a Sox board I thought that went without saying.

Being a Sox board it's open to debate. I don't know who is better but spend 5 minutes in PI, they'll argue anything.

Oh yeah, I've gone into PI. Honestly, it's worse being conservative over there than it is being a Yankee fan on the baseball forums.

as for Williams, I can't think of many comparable players, let alone better. Though admittedly I'm unsure of which greats spent their entire careers in Boston.

Hell I'm a Green by nature and I've been seen as conservative in there, and of course Teddy is the best baseball player ever to put on a Boston uniform, if he hadn't lost the time to the war it's possible that we'd be talking about Bonds chasing Williams. But given the Irish soul that pervades Boston culture of course we debate it.

Edited because I forgot to make a point

It's not just Bostonians that question it and it could merit its own thread. I just started reading Brushbacks and Knockdowns : The Greatest Baseball Debates of Two Centuries and the very first chapter addresses who was the greatest hitter ever: Babe Ruth or Ted Williams?

I'm only about 10 pages into it, but he attempts to extrapolate data as if Teddy had never gone to war and if Ruth had been an everyday player instead of a pitcher. By the author's account they seem very even and he gives the edge to Ruth by a slim margin. I'm not a stat-head by any means, but some of his rationale for choosing the data that he does, seems a little off to me. It's still early in the book so, I'll give the book a chance.

Then again the author is a Yankees' fan so you have to read his writings with a critical eye

Edit: clarity

That all depends on criteria, ie what defines 'the best hitter?' I also agree it merits it's own thread. However, in addition to Williams and Ruth I'd probably throw Gehrig, Speaker, Hornsby, or Cobb into the debate.

My trusty #24 jersey will be on over my sweatshirt and under my rain coat tonight.

I heard they are selling Damon jeserys for half price

I have a #34 player tee with the name "El Guapo" that I got at a thrift store for $1.

Best thrift purchase ever.

I have a St. Patrick's Day Garciaparra, a home replica Timlin (my favorite), an eBayed away Williams (no name, just the number with the blue lettering and number), and a nameless red alternate.

I've wondered often if I could take my Nomar, which is an authentic, to a lettering place and get the number changed to 45, 50, 58, or something completely different, but people said the spots under the numbers would have faded cause I did wear the green jersey around before it became obsolete.

(I have a bad track record with numbered shirts - I have a red Cabrera, a blue Nixon [gone soon], a red Arroyo, and a blue Varitek t-shirt - only one won't be obsolete next year.)

Oh, and VE has seen my old, old Edwin Gorter Revs jersey. But that one's game-worn, so it doesn't count.

i have a sweet "vinatieri" #4 for sale.....best offer

That's something I had in my hands about 9 years ago.

When I lived in Kansas, I was with my girlfriend at the time in a thrift shop looking for general what-the-hell junk. I wasn't really into shopping, but I was going through a rack of old men's shirts sort of looking for a Hawaiian shirt for a party. I came across a button-down, heavy Red Sox home jersey... a Number 8. No name on it, just the 8.

I wasn't really into baseball at the time (post- '94 strike), and they wanted $20 for it, which was a lot at the time.

I still kick myself.

About a year or 2 ago, there was a special edition "midnight" pitch black red sox jerseys at olymica store and I didn't get it, and I regret it big time, does anyone know where to get those ??? I would love to get those!!

There are a number of Sox numbers that I would be proud to have in my collection. One is number 9 for Ted and another is number 6 for Mr. Red Sox. I have never understood why Pesky's number has not been marketed in a t-shirt or uniform jersey.

See below.

Don't ever forget the time Ted spent with youngsters, especially those from the Jimmy Fund. He would often visit the hospitals and warn reporters not to write anything about those visits. An interesting story on Ted I pass on from Jim Prime re how Williams would often react with yougsters. Once on the Miramichi in New Brunswick Canada, while fishing near his camp he came across a father and son who were doing the same. The father told his son that he was in the presence of a legendary ballplayer and asked for an autograph. Ted told the pair to wait by the riverside for a minute and walked back to his camp. He returned several minutes later with a Hall of Fame baseball cap and autographed it for the boy. This was not unusual for Ted in his dealings with youngsters. Plus his patriotism and willingness to tell it like he saw it made him special to me. He was what John Wayne's image was.
It is also interesting to note that many claim Joe D's image in public and the press was just the opposite from what he was really like when met away from the limelight while Ted's too was just the opposite from what people and the press saw.

Here is part of an interview I did with Jim where he desrcibes how he met Ted.



JP: When I was around 12, I received a book for Christmas called My Turn At Bat, the Biography of Ted Williams, by John Underwood. After I read this book I couldn’t believe it -- this man’s life was like an epic novel. He was larger than life. He always said what he believed. He did not mince words even if it was not politically correct. As a child he was a hero of mine.

Many years later I was in the hospital in Halifax battling cancer. When I finished my treatments and was released I decided there were some things I had to do. One of them was meet Williams. I wrote him only knowing the general area in Florida where he lived. I explained there were things I wanted to do and one of them was to meet him. I never expected a reply. Several weeks later, a letter appeared at my door with a postmark from a small town in New Brunswick, Canada. It was from Ted.

Editor’s note: At this point, Jim showed Don Hyslop the note that Ted had written him. It said, “Dear Jim, Got your letter and will be happy to talk with you, phone or otherwise. I am not as mean or ornery as you might think.”

Jim continued: He put his phone number on the note and I worked up my courage and gave him a call. We had an interesting conversation and he invited me to visit him at his fishing lodge. He asked me if I had a place to stay and I replied there are motels nearby. His reply was, “Forget that, there’s plenty of room at my lodge”. I was to report there. Can you imagine that! He had never seen me in person before. He introduced me to his fishing buddies as, “This is Jim Prime, he’s a writer.” He said this with contempt in his voice but with a big smile on his face. For the next decade, I spent parts of every summer with Ted. It was from this building of friendship that our book came about.

One of the many things that always impressed me about Ted was the way he treated children and the so called common man. He was as nice to them as he was to his friend George Bush. I can remember him signing buckets full of baseballs for kids. Everyone knows about the work he did with the Jimmy Fund but he also made countless visits to hospitals to visit sick children. He never wanted any of this printed in the press. Its funny you know. Joe DiMaggio was the darling of the press and Williams was the opposite but off the field while DiMaggio often expected certain things, Williams was all heart.

I have an '05 Opening Day #6 jersey. Had to get it custom done, but it's earned a place of honor in my rotation. I ordered mine through the MLB.com store and had to order it twice because they inexplicably cancelled it the first time. I found out that there is a policy against getting numbers of retired players, so make sure, if you go that route, that you put your name on the order form - and speak to a customer service rep to be sure they understand that, it'll save you grief later.

eBay's a great place to find Williams jerseys, but they're usually replicas. Make sure you look for those with the correct numbering (they aren't too hard to find). I got my Fisk jersey from there (it's a button-down) for about $80. Someday I'll spring for the M&N version.

I got the customized Papelbon, 58 White last year right after his second start in front of Fenway. I still rarely see people with it, so I always get props for it. The jersey I got is awesome.