CONTRIBUTING Writer

A group of New Yorkers are motivated to rename River Ave., a Bronx Street near Yankee Stadium, to Rivera Ave. (Graphic by Kate Doheny/The Ram)

On Thursday, Sept. 5, a man named Tom Ferrara was standing outside Yankee Stadium, when he noticed the street sign for “River Ave.” The avenue is behind the stadium, by the 161 Street Yankee Stadium subway stop.

As baseball fans have focused much of their attention this season on the last weeks of Mariano Rivera’s career, Ferrara thought it would be a great idea to add an “a” to the street name, changing it from River Av. to Rivera Av. as a token of appreciation from New York City for all that Rivera has done over the past 19 years. Ferrara’s petition quickly gained supporters.

Of course, Yankee fans support this change, and because of Rivera’s great reputation this petition has received support from all baseball fans regardless of team preference and by those who value the positive image Rivera’s name brings to the city.

Over the course of Rivera’s Yankee career, he won five World Series rings and established himself as the greatest closing pitcher in the history of baseball, having over 650 game saves.

Rivera also contributes to society off the field. Since the beginning of his career, he has donated a percentage of his salary to his charity, the Mariano Rivera Foundation, dedicated to helping children who live below the poverty line. Currently, the foundation is working with children in Panama, his home country, teaching them how to use technology for early education.

However, is it not as easy as simply adding the letter “a” to a street sign. The New York City Council says that street signs are changed to honor a deceased person or someone who had a noteworthy impact on the city. Those opposing this change say a better way to remember Rivera and inspire others to emulate his actions is to build a park in his name where people can go.

Opponents want something more tangible that will motivate kids to be more active.  However, this is a more costly alternative and will take time to carry out. The street sign change can happen faster, though. It would be uplifting to implement soon because of the mediocre season the Yankees have had.

This will cast the end of the season in a more positive light by focusing on honoring Rivera’s accomplishments.

Another fan who supports the request created a twitter account, @161stRIVERAave, as a way to get the word out for anyone who wants to sign, whether as a Yankee fan or just a supporter of this iconic player.

The petition can be found on this user’s Twitter account.

In a sport rampant with controversy, Rivera, unlike other athletes (including some of his own teammates), has maintained his career in a healthy fashion, without involvement in any controversies or scandals.

He represents the American Dream and the noble values that we strive to emulate.

This would be a simple, yet meaningful gesture to thank Rivera for his contributions throughout the last 19 years on and off the field.

Marisa Rametta, FCRH’16 is a psychology major from  Wayne, N.J.

Categories: Opinion

Tags: MARISA RAMETTA