"I've been throwing it every day for the past 7 or 8 years" - Yankees catcher Jose Trevino reveals he has spent years perfecting his knuckleball
On Saturday, New York Yankees catcher Jose Trevino was not in the lineup in the matchup against the Milwaukee Brewers. He had the day off behind the plate with Austin Wells getting the start.
While Trevino thought he had the day off, he would later find himself on the mound late after the Yanks put it on the Brew Crew. In a 15-1 game, Trevino was called in to pitch.
While he let up two runs, he flashed a nasty knuckleball that caught the attention of many. While the effectiveness of the pitch was a surprise to fans, it was not to Trevino. He spoke with MLB Network Radio about how much he has practiced the pitch during his career.
"I've been throwing it every day for the past 7 or 8 years maybe. I've been practicing it" - stated Trevino.
Trevino reveals that he has practiced his knuckleball for the last seven or eight years. That is quite the dedication for somebody who has made one pitching appearance in his entire career.
"I wish I would have thrown more of them, I should have thrown more of them" - said Trevino.
In hindsight, Trevino wishes he would have thrown more knuckleball. He may have one of the best in the game, but you can debate that for yourself below in a fantastic breakdown by Jomboy.
The art of throwing a knuckleball is not easy to master, especially in a game. This goes to show just how many years of practice it took Trevino to be confident enough to call for it.
How did Yankees catcher Jose Trevino learn the knuckleball?
Yankees catcher Jose Trevino was later asked how he came to start practicing the knuckleball religiously as he has been. It was not until he caught Eddie Gamboa that the thought was put in his head.
Gamboa was known for being a primary knuckleballer for the Tampa Bay Rays in 2016. He also spent time with the Texas Rangers, Baltimore Orioles, and Los Angeles Dodgers.
"Finally, I'm like, 'Hey dude, how do you throw this thing?' And he was like, 'Oh, you throw it like this, grip it like this" - said Trevino.
Trevino would later practice with it on flat grounds until he threw a couple off the mound. It was not until then that he felt he could throw it in a big league game.