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The rap on doctors is that they no longer make house calls. Well, I know one able doctor who does. She made a call to my house, The Daily News at 450 W. 33rd St., just last Monday. This is a nice M.D., who specializes in head cases. Not that I'm in dire need of a shrink, but I loved the visit. This doc's name is Dr. Melfi and you have no idea how many disturbed heads she's treated. The most famous is a guy from Jersey named Tony Soprano, who seems to have this sense of guilt just because he happens to be a guy who either breaks legs or whacks people. I guess most of you have seen Tony in action on TV. The man beats somebody's brains out, then, to feel better, goes to a restaurant and eats two big bowls of pasta with that good sauce you stick a hunk of bread into. Okay, now let's get serious. This column is about this tall, spirited, fine-looking lady who plays the psychiatrist on that "gotta-watch" show, "The Sopranos." Now I'll say goodbye to Dr. Melfi so I can talk to Lorraine Bracco, the charming woman who I walked through the news room. She chatted up reporters and editors, making them feel like they've known her forever. This is the kind of unpretentious gal Lorraine is, a rare quality with famous actresses. She has that New York, girl-next-door class. Lorraine, who's from Brooklyn and Long Island, grew up loving sports because her father, Sal, took her to sporting events. "I loved going with my Dad to ballgames and the fights," she said. The fights? "Yes, the fights, and I got to be a big fan." Pop took her to the Lewis-Holyfield bout and when they called it a draw, she stood up, shook her fist and yelled, "You judges are blind, Lennox won easy!" And she was right. But, it is baseball she has the most fondness for: "I just love Joe Torre because he's a great leader and a fine man," she says. She recalled the time her Pop took her to Yankee Stadium and they sat right near the Yankees' dugout. She was already a famous actress. "Somebody told Joe I was there and the next thing I know here he is coming out of the dugout and comes over to us just to chat. Boy, my dad was in his glory." This gal was such a fan that she once got to throw out the first ball at the Stadium. She was throwing to Derek Jeter, so she wanted to make a good throw. Well, did she? "Oh, my gosh, no. I had poor Derek chasing that ball all the way back behind home plate," she said with a hearty laugh. Her dad, Sal, knowing how much she loved baseball, would take her to spring training to watch his Yankees work out. "The first time my father met Yogi Berra, it was something, because they got along so well," she said. "There they were, my dad chewing Yogi's ear off and Yogi's getting a big kick out of him. I loved watching them." Now Lorraine was talking like a real fan, the kind you hear on the FAN, and she's going through the lineup for next year: "Look, first of all, we gotta have Bernie Williams back, he's the heart and soul of the team.... I love that Robinson kid on second, and don't anybody try to trade him...Giambi? He's made his way back and I'm so happy about it because I love to see people come back....My dad says Jeter is the best ballplayer he's ever seen....A-Rod is great on third, so leave him be. "I'm a big believer that it has to be a team and not just stars, and I see the Yankees finding themselves by moving in that direction." This is a girl who not only roots for athletes she admires, but has compassion for them as well. Like when you mention Muhammad Ali and his health problems, she says: "There's a man who made such a huge contribution in the world. I really wish him well, because he was not only a great fighter, but he showed people how to love. His heart is as big as his punch. "There are only two people that I cried while meeting them. One was the singer Peggy Lee, and the other was Ali." That tells you just a little about this lady, a charmer from around the corner who came to visit me and looked even prettier than Dr. Melfi. Originally published on November 27, 2005
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