So you’re walking toward the skin-care aisle at your local CVS, and as you turn the corner still hunting for that elusive multipack of Irish Spring, you freeze. There he is, scanning the ingredients on the back of that bottle of Jergens. It’s definitely him! It’s — Bob Stanley! Former Red Sox savemeister; the man who threw the infamous pitch that turned the tables in favor of the Mets in Game Six of the 1986 World Series! It’s really him: the Steamer!

Now what do you do?

For some, the decision is easy. You can go up to him, introduce yourself, and wish him well, thanking him for a great career. On the other end of the spectrum, you can go up to him and give him a piece of your mind regarding that 16-year-old inside fastball that got away from catcher Rich Gedman that night in Queens. Or, as you’re more likely to do, you can just go about your business, and perhaps tell your friends and family later that you ran into the Sox’ all-time saves leader in CVS that day. Maybe they’ll be impressed; maybe they’ll yawn.

Stanley is one of those almost-legends in New England sports history. There are plenty more walking our streets who would create much more of an emotional stir if you happened to run into them at the local five-and-dime.

Which brings us to the subject of this week’s column: who are Boston’s most famous sports icons? Who are the people who would make you stop dead in your tracks, with the result of this chance meeting becoming a slow-motion memory that you would replay and remember for the rest of your days. Damn, I should have gone up to him! I should have asked for his autograph! I should have shaken his hand! Who are these people, with whom such an encounter would just make your day/week/month/year/lifetime?

Let’s set down some ground rules. Today’s column will focus on retired athletes or coaches who spent the majority of their careers as members of a New England team. They don’t have to live here anymore, but they must have spent enough time in our area to make a difference, for better or worse. And remember, this is just one man’s opinion. Herewith, the Sporting Eye New England Sports Icon top 10:

10) Dwight Evans. Dewey played 20 major-league seasons, 19 for Boston and his final one (in 1991) for Baltimore. In that score of years, he collected eight Gold Gloves, had a .272 career average, and slugged 385 home runs. Many believe that he should be in the Hall of Fame, and I agree. His defense in the sixth game of the 1975 World Series was overshadowed by Carlton Fisk’s 11th-inning pole-scraping HR, but Evans’s amazing catch off the bat of Joe Morgan in the top of that inning saved the game for Boston and paved the way for Pudge’s game-winner. Evans was always the consummate professional, and a good-looking one at that, and he couldn’t help it if many female fans bought tickets for the right-field bleachers just to get a unique, ahem, perspective of his defensive skills. Dewey, who just turned 51, returned to the bigs this past season as hitting coach for the Sox, although he was fired at the end of the year. An honest-to-goodness stud with Cooperstown-caliber stats, Evans would well be worth saying hello to.

9) Wade Boggs. Say what you will about the Chicken Man, but his numbers and career speak for themselves. A certain Hall of Famer in three years, Boggs put up amazing statistics during his time here, along with Gold Glove–caliber defense (although he never won one here). Like Roger Clemens, he went to the dark side late in his career and collected post-season hardware with the pinstripers, but his contributions here during the 1980s were unmatched. Bostonians will properly appreciate what this hitter extraordinaire — who retired with a career .328 BA and 3010 hits — did for their city when they disregard his puzzling off-field antics.

8) Kevin McHale. McHale gets points because he spent his entire playing career with the Celtics, and because he was one of the funniest athletes ever to play in Boston. The long, long arms on his six-foot-10 frame make him stick out in any crowd; he’s also a three-time NBA champion with the Celtics and a certified Hall of Famer. McHale, 44, is now the general manager of the Minnesota Timberwolves, but he’s always welcome around here, and always has something to say.

7) Robert Parish. Up next is another member of the "Big Three," as the seven-foot-one Parish, along with McHale and Larry Bird, made up what many believe is the greatest front line in NBA history. The Chief played a remarkable 21 seasons, the bulk of which he spent as the centerpiece of the ’80s Celtics teams. Parish, like McHale, won three titles with Boston during his 14-year stay here, and won a fourth as a reserve member of the 1996-’97 Chicago Bulls. Despite his stoic nature, his personality always had a "wink-wink" aspect, as evidenced by his 1993 summons for pot possession occasioned by a five-ounce FedEx package of marijuana that was tracked to his doorstep. The deep voice, the four championship rings, and the folksy demeanor of the Chief make him a welcome addition to this list.

6) Carlton Fisk. I’m bending the rules a little bit here, since Fisk played 13 seasons for Chicago’s White Sox and "only" 11 with Boston. Nonetheless, he’s a true New Englander who was born in Vermont and attended college in New Hampshire (where he still makes his residence). Therefore, an exception can be made, especially in light of his history. Pudge will always be remembered for the aforementioned "Shot Heard ’Round the World" in the ’75 Series, but he deserves icon status for much more than that single early-morning round-tripper. He was an 11-time All-Star (seven with Boston), a Gold Glove winner, and the first-ever unanimous Rookie of the Year (in 1972). Despite the front-office blunder that allowed Fisk to move on to the White Sox, he has never bad-mouthed the area or the organization, and he built a Hall of Fame career that ultimately resulted in his number 27 being just the fifth number retired by the Red Sox. With the old controversies set aside, Fisk was welcomed back into the front office of the Red Sox franchise a few years ago, and now serves as a special assistant to the general manager.

5) Carl Yastrzemski. Pudge’s Hall of Fame teammate, Yaz spent his entire 23-year career with Boston, and his number eight was retired in stirring fashion back in 1983. His amazing triple-crown year of 1967 helped lead the "Impossible Dream" team to the World Series, where they fell in seven games to Bob Gibson and the Cardinals. His lifetime stats are too numerous to mention here, but suffice it to say that he is Mr. Red Sox for many generations of Sox fans, and his offensive and defensive skills were legendary. He loses points for often leaving games early, smoking in the dugout, and not being particularly warm with the fans or media, but Yaz, like Fisk, has become something of a goodwill ambassador for the Red Sox organization since his retirement, and he always receives the loudest ovations at any event featuring the old-timers.

4) Bill Russell. For many NBA fans of this day and age, Russell is a distant memory, nearly a forgotten force. But for those who remember the dominance that he exhibited on a nightly basis for the Boston Celtics of the late ’50s and ’60s, he most certainly has not faded from view. Of the 16 championship banners that hang above the FleetCenter parquet, Russell had a direct hand in 11 of them — amazingly, all within a 13-year period. Like Yaz, Russell’s list of achievements is lengthy, but as a five-time MVP and a 12-time All-Star, his contributions to the sport are matched only by Michael Jordan’s. While reclusive and somewhat abrasive during his playing days, Russell has lately been embraced more widely by the fans and media who followed his career, and in recent years the more fan-friendly Bill Russell, with his cackling laugh and affinity for storytelling, has become a terrific addition to the Boston sports landscape.

3) Ray Bourque. No, he never did lead the Bruins to a Stanley Cup during his nearly 21-year career with the Black & Gold, but he was a mainstay on the blue line and a genuine lock Hall of Famer. He was always professional, courteous, and humble, and a truer sportsman never existed. When he eventually won a Stanley Cup, with the Colorado Avalanche in 2000, there was no shortage of tears shed here, because Bourque was still close to our hearts, and was most deserving of hockey’s ultimate prize. He could probably still lace ’em up tonight and knock down a few encroaching wingers, but Captain Ray is apparently content to bask in his retirement while handling some PR duties for the FleetCenter. He is still very much beloved by New England hockey fans, and surprisingly even received a warmer round of applause at Terry O’Reilly’s recent number-raising ceremony than ...

2) Bobby Orr. Orr, too, is old news to much of the current generation of hockey fans, but like Russell, his contributions to the local franchise will never be forgotten. Always a gentleman off the ice, and consistently willing to sign autographs and shake your hand no matter what the situation, Orr is another consummate pro and good guy. For many, it’s hard to believe that he hasn’t skated as a Bruin in 27 years, but during his time he revolutionized the defenseman’s role, and his number four proudly hangs along with the numbers of numerous teammates in the FleetCenter rafters. His contributions to hockey were appreciated by many even outside the sport, including one hick from French Lick, Indiana, who stared at Orr’s retired banner during every national anthem played at Boston Garden. Who’s that? You know him better as ...

1) Larry Bird. The Celtics star was never as beloved as Bourque or Orr, but his legend has only grown in stature since his premature retirement in 1992. One can only speculate the numbers Bird would have put up had back problems not cut short his spectacular career, but the stats he did put up — 12-time All-Star, three-time MVP, and three NBA titles, to name a few — are mind-boggling. Only in retrospect and on videotape can one appreciate the genius that was Bird, and for all-around greatness, only Magic and Jordan can compare in this era. His knack for hitting the unmakable (and numerous times, game-winning) shots, his remarkable passing skills, and his hustle and smarts on the court overcame his pedestrian innate ability. He expanded on his mythological stature by subsequently becoming a successful head coach for Indiana, and even captured Coach of the Year honors in 1998 when he led the Pacers all the way to the NBA Finals. As is his nature, he walked away at the top of his game, and now may become an owner and/or general manager for the next expansion team granted by the NBA.

Yep, if you ran into Larry Legend at the local Wal-Mart, you’d certainly remember that day for years to come. And knowing his frugal nature, it’s not that much of a long shot to see him there, to be honest.

Honorable mention: Cam Neely, Marvelous Marvin Hagler, John Hannah, Fred Lynn, Bob Stanley, Rico Petrocelli, Steve Grogan, Johnny Kelley, Jim Rice, Steve Nelson — and plenty more that I’ve probably overlooked. No letters, please.

Coming Friday: the Top 10 New England Sports Icons still playing the game.

Sporting Eye runs Mondays and Fridays at BostonPhoenix.com. Christopher Young can be reached at cyoung[a]phx.com