10. DAVID WRIGHT: Hit at least 25 homers and had 100-plus RBIs in four straight seasons, with two Gold Glove awards for the Mets before his drop-off last season.
Neil Miller
2 of 10
9.) MICHAEL STRAHAN: Totaled 89 sacks in the decade, including his memorable 2001 season in which he set an NFL record with 22 ½.
REUTERS
3 of 10
8.) TIKI BARBER: Began the decade as third-down specialist who seldom carried the ball, but by the time he retired following the 2006 season Barber was the Giants’ all-time leading rusher.
AP
4 of 10
7.) JASON KIDD: His arrival resurrected the Nets, positioning them to reach the NBA Finals in successive seasons.
Jeff Zelevansky
5 of 10
6.) CURTIS MARTIN: Kept a low profile with the Jets, but let his legs do the talking with five straight 1,000-yard rushing seasons to begin the decade.
KEVIN P. COUGHLIN
6 of 10
5.) ALEX RODRIGUEZ: No player was a bigger focal point this decade, from the blockbuster trade that brought him to the Yankees to his two MVP awards with the club and the later admission he used performance enhancing drugs.
Paul J. Bereswill
7 of 10
4.) ELI MANNING: Took the Giants to the playoffs four straight years and helped orchestrate one of the greatest upsets in Super Bowl history.
Charles Wenzelberg
8 of 10
3.) DEREK JETER: The centerpiece of two world championship and four pennant winners this decade. The Captain had maybe his best season in 2009 and remains the Pride of the Yankees.
Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post
9 of 10
2.) MARTIN BRODEUR: Not only did Brodeur become the league’s all-time leader in wins, shutouts and games, he led the Devils to Stanley Cup championships in 2000 and ’03.
AP
10 of 10
1.) MARIANO RIVERA: The scary thing is he’s just as good as when the decade began. The 40-year-old remains the ninth-inning standard, using his patented cutter to frustrate hitters and change the approach opposing managers take in the late innings.
Ron Sachs – CNP
