All it took was an “A” and a dream to transform a Bronx street into a lasting tribute to Yankee great Mariano Rivera.
River Ave., which courses by Yankee Stadium, was renamed Rivera Ave. on Monday to honor the future Hall of Famer.
The retired relief pitcher grew emotional after he climbed up a ladder and unveiled the new street sign at 161st St. that bears his famous name.
“For 23 years I’ve been facing games like World Series games and All-Star games,” Rivera, 44, said. “But this is tough. This is definitely tougher than all those games.”
Thomas Ferrara, one of the fans who first came up with the idea to honor his favorite pitcher, was grinning from ear to ear.
“When I went to one of my meetings in November to help propose this, I heard stories there of street renamings that took seven or eight years,” he said. “So this happened relatively quickly and I think it’s a testament to how much the people love Mariano.”
The closer par excellence retired last year after a 19-season career, during which he racked up 652 saves, collected five World Series rings and won the hearts of countless Yankee fans.
Among the hundreds gathered at the event were 50 kids from the Head Start program at the Highbridge Advisory Council on E. 165th St., who serenaded Rivera with “Take Me Out to the Ball Game.”
Joe Lajara, a 37-year-old fan from Jackson Heights, Queens, brought along his own self-made Rivera Ave. sign.
“You can’t ask for more for a Hall of Famer like Mariano,” Lajara said. “You think of great names from the Yankees like Joe DiMaggio, and Mariano is one of them.”
Lonn Trost, the Yankees’ chief operating officer, said Rivera set the standard for relief pitchers.
“In every sport and in every position, there will always be a debate as to who the best player is in that position,” Trost said. “With one exception: No one will ever argue that Mariano is not the best closing pitcher in baseball.”
