Hospital on front lines
The excitement in Robert Cerfolio’s voice rose as he recalled the pivotal confrontation. Jim Leyritz against Mark Wohlers, his Yankees down three runs to the Braves in Game 4 of the 1996 World Series in Atlanta.
“That was an amazing moment. I was there. I was standing up on my seat cheering and I looked around and about 50 people were ready to kill, so I sat back down,” Cerfolio recalled with a laugh, after Leyritz pulled the Yankees even with a series-turning homer. “I said to my wife’s brother, ‘This game is over and this series is over.’ I’ve never seen so much air leave a stadium so fast. That was it.”
The Yankees, of course, went on to win the game and the series, as Cerfolio predicted. In a lifetime of memorable wins by his beloved Yankees, that one still stands out. He’s hoping to see a few more in the coming months.
Baseball has always been a big part of his life. He played at the University of Rochester
and his three sons are involved in the sport. His oldest, Robert, is the Indians’ assistant director of player development. His middle son, Alex, had his career derailed by injuries, and his youngest son, Matt, is an infielder for Columbia. As a thoracic surgeon and executive vice president at NYU Langone Health, Cerfolio has seen up close the impact the coronavirus can have. NYU has seen more than 1,300 COVID-19 patients, he said, and was in the eye of the treacherous storm. “That was a real challenge,” he said. “I’m proud of what we did. … It’s been very rewarding.” He believes baseball is doing the right thing and isn’t posing a health risk despite the rising cases across the country and the threat of the coronavirus.
“I think it represents a lot to people, not just socially, but economically,” the 58-year-old Manhattan native said. “I think it’s incumbent on us to do it and do it safely. I really think it should come back. I think it’s going to bring great joy to people.”