Almost nothing is stronger than the bond between a father and son. This was put on display Tuesday night when Yankees catcher Jose Trevino hit a 114-foot walk-off single against the Orioles.
Immediately after securing the game-winning hit, Trevino pointed to the sky and started screaming “Papi! Papi! Papi!” In the midst of all the noise and excitement of winning the game, Trevino only had one person on his mind: his late father.
Jose Trevino’s father, Joe, passed away back in 2013 during his son’s junior year at Oral Roberts University in Oklahoma. Throughout Jose’s childhood Joe never pushed him to play baseball. Joe wanted his son to find his own enjoyment in life, but he made sure that he would always be there for Jose whenever he wanted to play.
Powered by hard work, determination, and the teachings of his father, Jose Trevino made his big league debut in 2018 with the Texas Rangers. He saw modest success in Texas before being traded to the Yankees this past offseason.
Trevino is in the midst of a career year so far in the Bronx, slashing .246/.300/.369 across 70 plate appearances. For a defensively-minded backup catcher, that’s not too shabby. He launched a two-run bomb to left-center field in the third inning of Tuesday’s game before his eleventh inning heroics made him a nationwide sensation.
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The fact that he had this moment with the Yankees is also sentimental. Trevino’s father would often instruct his son to visualize the same type of situation when they practiced together, telling young Jose he needed to drive in the game winning run in the bottom of the ninth. It’s as if Joe foresaw this moment during his son’s childhood.
Jose Trevino’s story is a bittersweet one that we can all relate to. The most important figure in Jose’s life wasn’t there to witness his defining moment, but he had prepared him for it all his life. We’ve all experienced loss, and we all strive to make our families proud. For Jose Trevino, those two things converged in the most beautiful moment of his life.
As Father’s Day approaches let’s remember to cherish our father figures and their memories, just as Jose Trevino has.