Post-columnist Steve Trevino catches up with Yankees catcher Jose Trevino, Q&A.
Q: How close was he to quit baseball when his deceased father Joe was ill?
A: I was ready to go home, so I was ready to go home. I intended to support my family. It was me and my mom, I talked to my mom, and my mom was like "No, you didn't do that". At that time, I was having a hard time with Oral Roberts. My mother said, "I'm not going to let you do that. Your dad didn't let you do it, he didn't want you to do it. Don't worry. You can control it here. No problem. I We take care of everything, you just keep chasing your dreams. "For me, I live my dreams with my father. This was our dream. And it wasn't forced by me, it was like our dream. This is what we imagined.
Q: What drives you?
A: My family. People I'm trying to prove right. No longer trying to prove that someone is wrong. I couldn't really care what people say. I care more about people who have believed in me throughout my career and throughout my life. Those are the people I play. I play for those who have always had the vision of being where they want to be, and those who just believed in me.
Q: What do you think about not being drafted?
A: As an 18 year old kid, I knew I needed to go and grow up, so I chose Oral Roberts.
Q: When criticism bothers you was it there? You thought it was unfair.
A: I think I was young. I wasn't getting the attention I thought I should receive. And looking back now, it's just immature and doesn't understand that it doesn't have to be recognized by everyone.
Q: How proud are you of overcoming the odds?
A: I'm definitely proud of myself. I still have a lot of things I want to do. I think there are a lot of boxes I want to check before the story is over.
Q: Which box do you want to check?
A: The main thing is to win the World Series. That's all I dreamed of when I was a kid, hoisting a trophy and seeing the Yankees hoisting a trophy. I am the man who saw the celebration at the end of every championship. I am the one who looks and feels like everyone who is weeping and happy with their teammates and family. I'm a man like one day, it will be me someday. I want to win the World Series at the New York Yankees. There is nothing more for a baseball player.
Q: Are you visualizing it?
A: Every day. I go to work every day. every day.
Q: Catchers need to understand why each pitcher is ticking.
A: (laughs) There are so many personalities that you juggle, which is fun for me. Some people need to tap their backs, while others need someone on their face. The good thing about this catcher position is that everyone needs to know what they need.
Q: So what do you think Gerrit Cole needs?
A: Nothing. He's Gerrit Cole, he's going out there, he's going to compete, he's going to put rubber toes, and he's going to chase you.
Q: Nester Cortez.
A: Nestor's competitor. He's not afraid of anyone, and I feel it's in his interest, he's just going to attack you, he's going to attack you with his best , And he's going to do it in style. Nester intends to be himself.
Q: Luis Severino.
A: He is one of the ultimate rivals. Sevy always has a game plan in his head and is ready to roll back. It's exciting to see him pitch when I'm not catching him. He enjoys, he enjoys the adrenaline of striking two times and hitting someone.
Q: Jameson Taillon.
A: He has entered the zone, is in attack mode and is ready to roll. Anyone, regardless of count, is ready to attack at any time. And he doesn't need any special motivation, the guy has it.
Q: Jordan Montgomery.
A: Monty is special. He enjoys playing chess, tic-tac-toe in the game. He pitches a man in a certain way, pitches a man in this way, then comes back and pitches in this way. When a man is playing checker, he always feels like playing chess. Monty is smart, so he knows what he is doing there.
Q: Michael King.
A: Michael King is rare. He gets out of the bullpen and needs someone special to do what he does. But he is in attack mode. The situation is not too big for him. He loves to be there.
Q: Clay Holmes.
A: I don't have much to say about clay. Same thing, guy, he's in attack mode and ready to chase you,
Q: Why is his sinker so deadly?
A: He throws it for a strike. Even if you plan to take it, he throws it for a strike, so you sit there and strike twice, or sit there and throw it a couple of times. You have to decide if you want to hack, but it's a difficult pitch. There are many movements.
Q: Aaron Judge.
A: He deserves everything that comes to him. How he does his business in the field, how he carries himself out of the field. To do that in New York, playing with the New York Yankees centerfielder and doing what he's doing this year is very special. He immediately welcomed me. As soon as I landed in Tampa, I entered the clubhouse and introduced myself like everyone else.
Q: Do you think of all-star games?
A: I'm thinking of winning every day. It would be great if an All-Star game happened, but my big goal is to win the last match of the 2022 baseball season.
Q: If you could choose a catcher's brain Who will be in the history of MLB?
A: Johnny Bench. Too many to choose. Jorge Posada, Yogi Berra, etc. I can talk for days. I can talk for days with people who want to have a conversation.
Q: What if I could catch a pitcher in the history of MLB?
A: Nolan Ryan.
Q: What if I could throw away the second stolen MLB player?
A: Rickey Henderson. I need to hold the base or something or get his shoes.
Q: Your dad was a fan of Mickey Mantle.
A: He showed me the movie "61 *". It's pretty cool to go back and watch the movie and see Barry Pepper play Roger Maris.
Q: Please explain the idea in the field.
A: I'm ready.
Q: Pitch two perfect games in high school The reason I was able to do school.
A: I think one of them put the ball into play like four times. The other balls were like strikeouts, but every time the ball was hit, everyone made it. theater.
Q: Why did your fastball top the list?
A: 92 or something like that.
Q: Which pitcher did you like other than Nolan Ryan?
A: I liked the way Roger Clemens threw. He had something like "OK, I'm going to dominate the mound" about him. I liked the way his presence was on the mound. I also liked watching Pedro Martinez throw.
Q: Describe Steve Castillo, a high school baseball coach in Corpus Christi, Texas.
A: I think I owe everything to that guy. He actually saved my life when I was a few years old. I think we were in Gardner State Park, Texas, choking white powder donuts. He picked me up with my feet, turned me over, hit me on my back, and I threw a donut. I think he just won the Coach of the Year and so on. For the rest of the trip, everyone was floating in the river. It was just me and him, and he was throwing baseball at me all the time. I would just hit them, and he would just look at me. I've been playing tee-ball since I was little, so I handed over a baseball card and said, "I'll retire if this guy plays," and I became a high school student. This guy was there for me through everything. If I needed advice on something, he was there when my dad got sick. … He has been teaching high school balls for 30 or 40 years or something like that, and I'm very proud of what I'm about to say — but he has only one big leaguer. No ... and that's me.
Q: Your mom was in the stadium a month ago.
A: She loves it and her fans say it's great. She said they were some of the best fans she was around.
Q: Please tell us about your 4-year-old son, Josiah Cruz.
A: It took me a while to figure out we're not in Texas anymore (laughs), but he loves it. The fans are loud, that's what he said. He has always been a Nick Solak fan and one of my teammates in Texas. But he was looking at Izzy [Isiah Kiner-Falefa] here and Joey [Gallo] here, so "OK, we are now on a different team and another stadium." But since he was in school, he told his teacher that his father was a Yankee, so I think he understands that now.
Q: My fiancé Marla Markie.
A: She was great. She removed a lot of pressure from me by looking for a home for us by making sure I was comfortable. Basically all I had to worry about was playing baseball. She blessed me, she is a wonderful mother, and she is the best.
Q: Why does Twitter handle HipHipJose?
A: When I was a high school student, there were some people who participated in baseball games. They started to say "hip hips" and people said "Jose". I and my agent are actually trademarking it, so I'm going to start icing here. … If fans want a T-shirt, they might be able to make a hip-hip Jose T-shirt or something.
Q: Three supper guests.
A: Tim Duncan, Derek Jeter, Kobe Bryant.
Q: I recently met Jeter.
A: It was awesome. If anyone has the opportunity to meet their hero, I highly recommend it. I felt like 13 years old in me, 14 years old in me were flying around, and I was just trying to keep composing it.
Q: Tweeted: How does YogiDerekTrevino sound?
A: (laughs) Me and my fiancé, I'm looking forward to here in September, I'm throwing a name there — I actually put Jeter there As we are trying, we will see what happens. I doubt that, I think we've reached an agreement on the name, and we're going to see where it goes. I thought the Yankees fans would move a little.
Q: How about Jeter as a middle name?
A: Maybe, but let's see what happens. My second son always says that he is the best in baseball because he learns from his eldest son, so I think it's a pretty cool name to hear from the speakers.
Q: Your favorite movie.
A: "Grinch", accepted at any time of the year ... with Jim Carrey.
Q: My favorite actor.
A: Jack Black or Adam Sandler.
Q: Favorite singer / entertainer.
A: Everything from Randy Rogers band to Drake.
Q: My favorite meal.
A: Mother's spaghetti.
Q: Please explain the feeling of walk-off.
A: I think it's a calming feeling for me. Last year, when I came out in a big situation, one of my teammates asked me why I look smiling. I think it's because I'm enjoying that moment. I am enjoying what is in front of me. I know if I will fail, if I will succeed, I will learn something at that moment. That way, when that moment comes again, I'll be more prepared for it. Everyone sees every walkoff, every hit I've experienced, but no one has actually seen the big situation I failed or the big situation I hit. Whether I fail or succeed, and that feeling feels just like a kind of tunnel, and I just try to enjoy the moment every second I can.
Q: What do you like most about this Yankee team? Is it?
A: The fact that there is no ego. Everyone goes out there every night, and it does your job. Everyone comes to the scene where they are ready and ready to do their job, maximizing their abilities. Yeah, we may not win, but you will definitely feel it, you will definitely feel the pressure we are doing and we are working. And as a team, doing that is a difficult team to play, getting a lot of individuals on the roster, personalizing their work, and doing their job well. It's like that.
Q: So it puts psychological pressure on the other teams.
A: I think so.
Q: How about becoming a fan favorite?
A: Fan's favorite. ... I used to be a fan. It's special to me because they come to see the Yankees every night. I understand that it could be someone's last match. ... I understand that it could be someone's first game. … Understand the effects of autographs, the effects of fist collisions on children, and the effects of handshakes on girls chasing softball dreams. … I understand the impact we have. And I know I'm not going to have this platform forever. Maybe 10 years from now, I know that no one may remember me. But while I'm here, I'll try to help as many people as possible while I have this platform. I try to grow baseball games as much as possible, softball games as much as possible, and tell kids to "dream big". Whatever your goal, keep going. 'Day.
Q: Your thoughts on the tragic Yuvarde shooting.
A: It's pretty close to my house and I'm in San Antonio from now on. I'm terrible I'm 4 years old. I saw an interview with my family. I can't explain like ... I put myself in their place, but I don't know what I feel. And it's terrible that people have to experience it. I'm thinking of them, I'm thinking of my parents. I'm thinking about the whole family. Children may be having fun, with birthdays approaching, holidays approaching, and summer approaching. ... just thinking about it, I have to go home and I don't know what would happen if I didn't have a boy. My heart is still heavy. I love Texas and I love my hometown. But it's just sad ... sad.
Q: How do you summarize that you are Jose Trevino?
A: I've always been told that no matter what I do, no matter how good I am at baseball or how good I am at baseball, I always have to be a better person. I did. I take great pride in that. When I finish this game, I feel like I care about the opinions of my teammates. I hope my teammates say I was a good teammate. I hope I'm told I was the winner. And I hope people tell me I was a good person. And finally, they can say whatever they want about my baseball career.
