How Cervelli's Mother Helped Him Get Through the Tough Times

It all started when Francisco Cervelli was fifteen years old, sitting at his kitchen table with his mother in Venezuela, telling her he was going to be a big league catcher someday in the future.  That is some big dream, right?  There are many young boys who say that, hoping to emulate their favorite player's careers in the  major leagues.  Cervelli wasn't just any young boy, though.  He made his dream a reality.

When Cervelli was playing in the Dominican Republic for the Yankees he called his mother crying, "I don't like the food. I'm not eating anything. It's tough here.' She said, 'Oh. You told me you wanted to play baseball,' and she hung up the phone."  Tough love, eh?  

Cervelli's mother has also been one to show what true love and strength is.  Damelis Cervelli has that mother's instinct; always knows when something is bothering her son.  Completing error after error in the International League, striking out in the batter's box left and right, Damelis knew something wasn't right with her son.  Once she received the phone call from him saying that he was fine and that nothing was wrong, her motherly instincts kicked in.  Right then and there Manuel and Damelis Cervelli hopped on a plane from Valencia, Venezuela all the way to Buffalo, NY.  

Once in his mother's embrace, it fixed everything for Cervelli.  Her instincts were right.  He needed his parents emotional support right now because he was having one tough season in the International Leagues.  Cervelli's parents didn't necessarily tell him what he wanted to hear at first, but after all the up's and down's we all realize that all our parents want is the best for us, just as Cervelli realized when his parents came to visit him.  

On the last day of spring training in the 2012 season, Cervelli was prepping to become the back-up catcher for the New York Yankees, behind Russell Martin. That was until the Yankees made a move and traded for catcher Chris Stewart.  This move sent Cervelli down to Triple A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, where the team had to play all their games on the road because the ballpark was in the midst of a big renovation.  Cervelli was down on himself for the way that he was playing.  He had a batting average in the .100's and lead the league in past balls.  Damelis Cervelli stepped in and said, "No matter what, just play. Baseball is so beautiful."  That was all Cervelli needed to hear.  

The Cervelli's traveled for three weeks, while Francisco was in the Minor Leagues last year.  Before Damelis left, she told her son that he better keep playing his game because baseball is his passion.  The minute he stops doing that, Cervelli's parents told him they are bringing him home with them.  

He has never seen his mother shed a tear in her life, even if she is upset, she does not show it.  She has always given Cervelli the tough love he needed.  As Cervelli rejoined the Yankees in the Major Leagues this past year, he faces another tough challenge: a fractured right wrist that he suffered on April 26th.  Cervelli's parents traveled to Florida where the X-rays were taken.  Although they had originally intended to go back home to Venezuela, they instead stayed by Cervelli's side when he went in to surgery to repair his wrist. As Cervelli stated, "I've always been a mommy's boy."

Hope you all enjoyed the light-hearted story just Mother's Day is approaching this Sunday. On that note, I wanted to say a Happy Mother's Day to my mom. Cervelli and I may have to compete, though, because I believe my mom is the strongest woman I have ever known.