Ex-Yankee Mariano Rivera to open Port Jeff Station car dealership

Former Yankees closer Mariano Rivera is about to be an opener.

The baseball Hall of Famer is scheduled to open his new Port Jefferson Station auto dealership at noon Saturday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and free car washes.

Rivera, 52, a Panama native who retired from baseball in 2013 following a stellar 19-year career that included five World Series championships, plans to attend the ceremony, which is open to the public, a news release said. Attempts to reach him were unsuccessful.

"I'm excited to bring my business to the Port Jefferson Station community," Rivera said in the release, adding, "It means a lot to be able to get involved with the area." 

Mariano Rivera Honda, on Route 112, includes new and used cars and sport utility vehicles for sale or lease, and a service and parts department.

A voicemail greeting calls the business "your Hall of Fame Honda dealer."

Rivera also owns a car dealership in Mount Kisco, in Westchester County.

Grand opening ceremonies will include free car washes for Honda owners and a free initial oil change, store officials said in the release. Drawings will be held for a three-year lease and three years of vehicle service, they said.

Rivera holds Major League Baseball's all-time saves record with 652 and was named to 13 All-Star teams while playing his entire career with the Yankees.

He was the first player elected unanimously to the baseball Hall of Fame when he was inducted in 2019. 

By Carl MacGowan

carl.macgowan@newsday.comCarlMacGowan

Carl MacGowan is a Long Island native who covers Brookhaven Town after having previously covered Smithtown, Suffolk County courts and numerous spot news and feature stories over his 20-plus year career at Newsday.