Jose Trevino recalls All-Star experience, looks ahead to 2023 season with New York Yankees

Jose Trevino said playing in New York you are allowed to be yourself.

New York Yankee fans, and fans watching the All-Star Game in 2022, caught a glimpse of Trevino’s personality, which is something those in Corpus Christi have known about for a long time, when he was mic'ed up while playing in the Mid-Summer Classic.

“It was special,” Trevino said prior to Thursday’s Hooks South Texas Winter Baseball Banquet about the All-Star Game experience. “My cleats had 161^st street where Yankee Stadium is and had 361 on the other side, and it meant the world to me, just because I knew who and what I was representing while I was (at the All-Star game). Of course, I wanted to represent myself and my family the right way and wanted to represent South Texas as a whole.”

Trevino, who now lives in San Antonio, returned to Corpus Christi as the featured speaker at the annual awards ceremony hosted by the Hooks, and offered up some stories and some wisdom to the young players in attendance. Trevino himself, was among the high school all-stars back in 2010 when he was starring at John Paul II.

“It feels great,” Trevino said. “Driving down the interstate, it’s always good coming down here and breathing South Texas air. It was 13 years ago to be exact (when he was an all-star).”

During a 10-to-15-minute question and answer session with Hooks broadcaster Michael Coffin, Trevino related stories about his first year with the Yankees and his minor league days in the Texas Rangers system. But he also helped grab the crowd’s attention when he talked about how much his former coach Steve Castillo mentored him as well as coach him, along with talking about all the people, including his family, that have helped him during his career.

It was their inspiration that helped him to want to continuously give back, whether it’s something as simple as answering a question for a young player or doing fundraisers.

“To make this happen, you have a lot of people supporting you,” Trevino said. “There is a lot of people in here you need (as he pointed to the table with his family and friends).”

Trevino said he’s been working on “little things” throughout the offseason in preparation for Yankees spring training in Tampa, which begins on Feb. 16 when pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report.

Trevino hit .248 in 2022, and added 43 RBI and 39 runs scored, and will be the Yankees top catcher entering spring training.

Trevino said he was “nervous” his first time playing in Yankee Stadium but “I felt comfortable, like I belong there.”

In 2022, Trevino said he learned “I shouldn’t set limitations on myself. I feel like I was able to be more of a team guy and I was able to help the team and be put in situations where I was comfortable to help out the team more. I learned that the brighter the lights I feel more comfortable.”

Along with signing a myriad of autographs, taking pictures and greeting each of this year’s Hooks All-Stars for a photo, Trevino also received a year’s worth of Whataburger.

“Oh man, my son is gonna love that,” Trevino said. “Wait until we tell him, he’s going to freak out.”

As the 2023 season dawns, Trevino seems to be in a good place in his career and life and is ready for a chance to help the Yankees win another World Series, while always being himself and remembering his roots.

“I think that’s the good thing about New York is you can still be yourself and they are going to love you,” Trevino said.

South Texas Winter Baseball Banquet

Award Recepients

Lifetime Achievement Award - Dan Firova, Refugio native Houston Astros coach

Hooks Player of the Year - Justin Dirden

Hooks Pitcher of the Year - Jose Bravo

Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Baseball Player of the Year - Trey Jones

Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Softball Player of the Year - Sydney Hoyt

Texas A&M-Kingsville Baseball Player of the Year - Giancarlo Servin

Texas A&M-Kingsville Softball Player of the Year - Aaliyah Ortiz

Matt Beveridge Award Winner - Kiernan Cruger, Ray High School

Mike Adams South Texas Pro Player of the Year - Nick Loftin

Coastal Bend Softball Coach of the Year - Tito Moreno, Bishop

Corpus Christi Softball Coach of the Year - Aspen Auger, Flour Bluff

Coastal Bend Baseball Coach of the Year - Adrian Alaniz, Sinton

Corpus Christi Baseball Coaches of the Year - Albert Amaya, Kevin Carr, London

This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Jose Trevino recalls All-Star experience, looks ahead to 2023 season