And now an exclusive interview with David Bassey for Dodger Talker.
All right, we're joined right now by a man that the Dodgers have found and maybe they found something.
He is not Italian, though, he is a proud Ecuadorian.
That is freaking a proud Ecuadorian, Puerto Rican and Pennsylvania dutchman.
Wow. That were a mutt. Wow.
That is Luke Trevino. He is one of the Dodgers' newest relievers. That's a lot more you threw at me than I expected, lou.
Yeah, yeah, but it is what it is, and everyone thinks of Italian but I know it doesn't it doesn't seem like it.
But not a time.
Hey, that's a compliment, especially going to college in Pennsylvania. I'm sure a lot of people thought you were at Paisano.
Oh absolutely absolutely, But yeah, it is what it is.
What was it like going to college in a small college and being able to be drafted by the A's back in twenty thirteen.
I mean it was great. I mean I went to a small Christian school to graduated in nineteen so at the time, eight thousand people was huge to me.
So it was a step up.
Even though it was small, but it was it was great to have that college experience there and throw well. And then the A's were able to notice that there's something going on over there, and then I was thankful that, you know, they were able to draft me and rest history.
What drew you to baseball? My dad?
My dad, he always he loved baseball growing up, and he played football for a long time. He was a stud. But he didn't want me to. You know, it's a very physical sport. Not to say I would have been good at football, although you know, I think I would have been good at football, but he always knows that a strong arm. So so we just kind of stuck with baseball and I fell in love.
And yeah, so you're telling me, if you played football, you would have been a great quarterback or receiver.
You don't really seem to have that football body. What are you talking about. You're thin, and your you're wiry.
I'm two hundred and forty pounds of solid muscle. I don't know what you're talking about. What would have been linebacker, probably be a tight end, maybe defensive line. I'd probably be about three hundred pounds right now, so it definitely would have been a little different.
I think I think he made the right choice. I agree with you.
I agree with you.
Lou.
Trevino is our guest, and Lou, the Dodgers have this reputation of finding guys that other teams don't see what they do.
Well. Have the Dodgers done that with you?
I would think so. The first time I was here, when I got here in Triple A when when was that three weeks ago? You know, they had some they had some stuff for me, and we were able to work on things, and uh and and I felt like I kind of hit hit his stride and and some of these things, you know, whether it's grip changes or mechanical changes or just usage. Honestly, they they've been really helping as of as of late and just kind of keep on going. But you know, I mean, I have
a lot of confidence in myself as well. I know that God blessed me to with me to be able to throw a baseball and throw it well. So it's nice that you know a team is as prestigious and as good as the Dodgers are, we're able to see that as well.
I saw you today even as the rain was falling, continuing that maintenance with Connor McGinnis. How difficult is it for a reliever to find a way to refine while you still may be pitching on a daily basis.
Yeah, it can be a little challenging, but that's something that you have to learn with age. When I was younger, I would throw away too much. I'm not saying I don't throw it too much now, because I probably do. But it's one of those things where instead of instead of throwing a lot flat ground when you're playing catch, maybe you limit the flat ground catch if you want to get some work in on the slope, and then again when you're on the slope. It's not about throwing hard.
It's for me, it's about trying to be about seventy seventy five percent, but feeling it out in front and feeling the delivery so you're getting work in without overtaxing your body.
What have the Dodgers told you to lean into because you said maybe usage pitch grips. Is it as simple as just throwing what you throw?
Well? Yeah, I think that they were able to identify what I do well and and and maybe especially to certain lefties, I threw maybe too many sinkers, not not to say that, not to say I don't throw it now because I have, but it's like, instead of leaning on one specific pitch, I feel like the pitch mix have been has been really good, and then we were able to refine the slider a little bit in recent and in the last week, and I think it's been
a much sharper of a pitch. So it's just like it's nothing mind blowing, It's not nothing from out left field, but it's just, you know, they I feel like they are very good at knowing what you do well and trying to get that a little bit bit better and then whatever your weaknesses is, you know you can mask.
It as well.
Being a guy that's a veteran, you've seen a lot, but even at this stage of your career and using some of those new pitches to get the results that you've gotten, how much of a confidence booster of the work you put in is it?
I mean it's definitely big. I know the last couple of years for me with having Tommy John surgery and then and then trying to come back and uh, and I thought it was gonna be a lot more smooth sailing than it was.
There was a lot of setbacks.
I thought i'd be back last year and it wasn't so to be back, and then I was first of all thankful that the Giants were able to give me the opportunity. It obviously didn't go the way I wait, wait, anyone wanted it to. But and then again being here, it's and then having success. I've had one thankful to God to give me this, this opportunity, and then too just it's a it's a good feeling to be back in the big leagues, competing at such a high level. I think I took it for granted for a long time.
So it's you know, life is a mixture of being grateful but not being satisfied. And if you're too grateful, you're never going to strive to be the best. And if you're too satisfied, uh yeah, you're you're you're Yeah, well that's the same thing. Uh but yeah, just trying to stay grateful but as well, like continue to work hard and kind of being able to sit back and and being thankful for everything God gave me. It's been you know, this a roundabout way of answering your question.
But but yeah, it's I'm very thankful. I'm throwing well, but it's more of like a gratefulness to be back in the big leagues and and and uh. And that realization came with, you know, being through all I've been through the last two years.
So hey, I'll make it simple for you.
Jim Harbaugh, the head coach of the Chargers, has a saying that he wants his team to really identify with humble and hungry.
Well, yeah, that's really good. That might be a little bit better than what I said.
That's why he's captain comeback exactly exactly. Hey, before I let.
You go, new teammates, new bullpen mates, a lot of guys that are world champions down there. Can you give us a peek into the vibe of those guys.
Yeah, you know, there's a there's a there's a quiet confidence in the group. You know, whether it's positionally starters like you said, the bullpen, a lot of guys are very, very talented and they know it, and there's that confidence that they have that just it's contagious. So it's it's it's cool to be around guys who've had that experience and success in such big moments. So it's it's it's it's fun to be around.
Hey, Lou Trevino, thanks a lot for the time. Really appreciate getting to know you, and you've been phenomenal. Stay humble and hungry, Absolutely humble, ungry. There he is the man, one of the newest Dodger relievers. He's sticking around, Lou Trevino, and he'll receive a pair of sunglasses from Canaan Canaan's world's best polarized sunglasses. Canaan's lenses are clearer, lighter, and stronger than other lenses and are nearly impossible to scratch. Visit canaan dot com for your pair.
How you reading that?
That's look at it.
That's Ray Vision Cannan's sunglasses right exactly.
Hey, Lou gets it.