As the still-on-the-outside-looking-in Yankees return home Friday night for what could be the 2013 season’s last stand, the drumbeat to rename River Avenue in honor of Mariano Rivera continued Thursday with City Council speaker Christine Quinn lauding the retiring closer and Westchester resident Tom Ferrara engaging in a contentious debate with WFAN morning mouth Craig Carton.
Ferrara, who first floated the idea of renaming the street outside Yankee Stadium to The Post’s Mike Vaccaro, also sent a letter to the City Council asking that body to consider changing the street name to Rivera Avenue.
After noting in the letter Rivera had been honored in visiting ballparks across the country, Ferrara asked what New Yorkers can do “to honor a man whose inspiration and class has done so much” for the Yankees, New York, and baseball.
“No steroids, no corked bats, no run-ins with the law,” the letter stated. “A hero in the class of DiMaggio, Gehrig, and Munson.”
Meanwhile, Quinn issued a statement calling Rivera “a great Yankee” and “a New Yorker deserving of great recognition and is someone the City should proudly honor.”
But, Quinn pointed out, no legislation to rename the street has been introduced before the council.
“I know many New Yorkers and many Council Members would enthusiastically support renaming River Avenue in his honor,” her statement continued. “If a member does propose a bill, it will undergo the same review as all bills do, and I look forward to considering it.”
Earlier, Ferrara and Carton got into it after Carton dismissed the idea of honoring Rivera by changing the name of a city street, calling it “stupid” and pointing out Rivera “ain’t Jackie Robinson.”
“There’s symbolism here,” Ferrara said. “River Avenue connects where the old Stadium was and where the new one is. Mariano for his entire career has been a Yankee, connecting the old Yankees with the new Yankees. And if you have ties into The Bronx and you have an emotional attachment to the team, as literally hundreds of thousands if not more fans do, River Avenue., not unlike Mariano, is that connection.”
“Oh, stop, come on,” said Carton, the loud half of “Boomer and Carton.” “With all due respect, it’s like a 12-year-old idolizing a ballplayer.’’
Carton’s partner, Boomer Esiason, said he also was against the idea, but remained silent throughout much of the interview. Esiason did say, however, Ferrara’s heart was “in the right place.”
“Yeah, he’s the greatest reliever of all time,” said Carton. “So what?
“Here’s what the average Yankee fan will tell you, if they’re being honest with you: ‘Hey, if they did name it after him, great, all good. Love Mariano Rivera.’ Do they have to name it after him? No. They don’t care.’’
Ferrara later asked Carton why he was “so jaded” about renaming the street in Rivera’s honor.
“It’s not jaded. It’s stupid,” said Carton. “The notion that because Mariano Rivera was a great baseball player, we now have to honor that career with a street, doesn’t make sense. That’s why. … You’re like a 12-year-old boy with an idolization problem.”
“This isn’t idolization,” Ferrara said. “It’s an accolade.”
The Yankees are scheduled to bestow their accolades upon Rivera before Sunday afternoon’s game with the Giants.
Sign the petition: https://www.change.org/petitions/new-york-city-change-river-avenue-to-rivera-avenue-2