Transcript
Speaker: You let the game tell you. The game isn't going lie to you at the end of the day. It definitely allows you mental freedom and physical freedom because you know you have the stuff to compete.
Speaker: And when you go out on the mound, you just do everything you you can do to win. So much work goes into it off the field. And I feel like I've taken a lot of pride in that. It's just...
Speaker: Doing the boring things really well. And just when you go out to the game, just do everything you can and let the work you've done prior take care of itself. Welcome to the Captains and Coaches podcast. We explore the art the science of leadership through the lens of athletics and beyond.
Speaker: I'm your host, Texel Quilkin, and baseball is in full swing. Today we're sitting down with professional pitcher Trey Dombroski. Trey grew up in New Jersey, played multiple sports his whole life, and got drafted in the fourth round by the Houston Astros at Amonmouth University in 2022.
Speaker: Since then, he's worked his way through the Astros system. And what stood out to me in our conversation wasn't just the arm work or talking ball. It was the way he thinks about preparation, relationships, and what it actually means to show up for your teammates.
Speaker: Pitchers are weird. Trey will be the first to tell you that. But the mindset behind the mound, that's what we're here to talk about. Trey Dombrowski, welcome to the show. Ready, ready, and break.
Speaker: I can sit here for a while. You caught me off guard a little bit. I know. Yeah, you might even move up a little You Vivo guy, too? I love them. Gotta I can't work out in those ones, personally, but love them. Oh. Oh, they're the best. Yeah, I got wide, fat feet. Uh-huh.
Speaker: you wear close spacers? ah Sometimes. Yeah, I'm rolling out my feet every day. Yeah. With lacrosse ball. Every day. You have to. Well, we're going get into some routines because pitchers are special.
Speaker: We're weird. Yeah, we're weird. Well, we're on. We're live. Yeah, let's do it. All right. Trey is sitting down. We're at ATS Training Systems, Appenzeller Training Systems.
Speaker: I mean, they're all over Jersey. What part of Jersey are we in? We are in West Berlin right now. Okay, West Berlin. Yeah. Yeah, CJ was naming all these towns, and I'm like, dude, I got no idea. Yeah, encompasses a lot of South Jersey. Sweet. Yeah. So how did you get connected with CJ? Because, I mean, you're a baseball, you're a Jersey, and now you're making your way through the professional ranks for the Houston Astros. So shout out H-Town. Yeah, shout out H-Town. Yeah, how did you shout out how did you get connected to CJ? Yeah. So in in college, i one of my roommates came here, and he had been coming here for, I want to say, two or three years prior. um And I was kind of in ah in a weird spot because the old facility I went to had closed down, and I really didn't have i didn't have direction. I didn't have a strength coach or anything. um And one of my good friends, Harry, who I said I went to college with, connected me with CJ. This was my beginning of my junior year.
Speaker: um And the rest is history. So that it's I got started because my good friend, Harry. Sweet. Did college have strength and conditioning? Yes. um So with baseball, we kind of go into that off-season where you go home for a Christmas break and you go home for Thanksgiving. And you have that kind of like four-week period to where...
Speaker: You're kind of on your own. yeah And i feel like that's the cool thing about baseball sometimes is like that's where you make your most your your biggest strides. And so we did have strength and conditioning at Monmouth, obviously. But when I'm home for that offseason, that's when we were just attacking it. And CJ had done such a great job with me during those those times because – college he got me prepared for it he got me prepared for 60 game season whereas in high school you're only prepared for 40 games and he got me prepared to go out there every single weekend and that's my biggest thing is yeah i just want to be available and i i want to be able to go out there and have fun and give give the team the best shot to win yeah and that i mean that's the best ability is available yeah and i i hear that a lot in baseball um
Speaker: Yeah, the best ability is availability. Or I hear health is wealth. A lot a lot of that, too. I like that. Yeah. And, I mean, take take us through the the nature of baseball because you have college and you're allowed to go to different leagues. Like, what leads to being drafted? It's not like football. No, it's not like football in in the case that – I mean, we do have a combine. The and MLB does have a combine, but – That's more formal interviews because when the combine is, it's a weird time where guys are either shut down, not throwing, or it's right at the end of a college season and where guys threw 100 innings. um So everybody's kind of way to pro ball is so different. You have guys going from JUCO to the majors. You got guys that get drafted out of high school. And then you got guys like me who get drafted out of college after three years. um So for me personally, it was –
Speaker: During the school season, so during my college season, just guys on other teams being really good and scouts being there. Guys on my team that were really good, scouts being there. So it's kind of you get seen based on who you're playing sometimes. And I feel like that is such a cool thing about baseball is that – There's 18 guys out there at one time because two teams, nine guys each team.
Speaker: And you only need one team to see you. And I feel like that's the really cool thing about baseball is a scout goes to see this big name, but then they end up seeing you. And that's kind of...
Speaker: How a lot of things kick off is baseball has guys that aren't these huge prospects, but then they blossom into these huge, huge names. And i feel like it's just it's just getting your name out there and having one team believe in you and then just taking that opportunity and running.
Speaker: And that one team? The Houston Astros. There we go. Yeah, there we go. And so now speak to us, the the entry level to pro. like What was your welcome to pro moment that was differenti different than college? Yeah, so... that athlete Pro ball is so weird in the fact that that's your job. you know you're You're in college and you have to go to school. You have to do all these different things and you have so many obligations where in pro ball, your job is to play baseball. And I would say my welcome to pro ball moment was me realizing how much downtime you really have and
Speaker: being able to separate baseball from my life at home. um And just being able to not always be so caught up in the baseball and so, oh I wanna do this, i wanna get this accomplished. That's great, don't get me wrong, but you're gonna have to shut it off at some times and just you know take a break for a second. And me personally,
Speaker: I like to do a bunch of things. i like to go for walks outside. I like to golf. I like to hang out with my friends and family. like Just do stuff that gets your mind off of that. yeah um So yeah, my biggest welcome to pro ball moment was seeing that I have a lot of downtime and a lot of people are working hard.
Speaker: And you're going to have to just find ways that you know you can make those little gains that will help you get to the best version of yourself. Yeah. And so have you connected with teammates that were also like locked in? We're going compete. Yeah. And I feel like that's the cool thing about pitchers. I'm a pitcher, obviously, so I can't really speak on the position player side.
Speaker: um The pitchers are always pushing each other. You only got one day out there. Like me personally, I see being a starting pitcher as like your football player in the sense that you go out there one day and that's that's your That's your day, you know? And being a starting pitcher, like I said, you have your own day. So it kind of is like, it's cool in that in that fact that you get to go out there by yourself and you're giving the the guys the best shot to win. um
Speaker: But, yeah, the pitchers, we really do push each other, whether it be in the weight room or whether whatever we're doing during catch play before games. um I feel like pitchers have a a really cool bond in the fact that we're all so different, but we're all there for the same goal. Mm-hmm.
Speaker: And um I'm familiar externally, just following along the Astros for eons at this point. So I'm well aware of their velocity training program for pitchers. Yeah. Externally. I don't know what it means, what it entails. I just know that the pitchers that go to Houston, they accomplish amazing things when they step on the mound.
Speaker: So now... Help me understand like what how specific is that program and allows you guys to compete against each other. Yeah, the the good thing about the Ashers is that they tie everything pitching into one. So strength and conditioning.
Speaker: Pitch arsenal, pitch execution, all of this thing all of these things that are under being a pitcher. So there's so many things that go into being a pitcher, and they do such a good job at just tying everything into each other. Okay, we're going to do stuff in the weight room that is going to help you become a better pitcher. And that velocity program was huge for me because i was able to see a jump in the velocity and...
Speaker: We're in a game now where baseball is kind of velocity driven and you're going to need that as a bare minimum. That's going to have to be a requirement for most guys. So that was big for me because it just it gave me confidence that, look, I have this and I know I'm going to be able to compete with such great baseball players at the end of the day.
Speaker: Yeah, and then within the, I suppose, taking it now to two game day. So velocity training, we do the training, we put in the work, but now I got to execute on the mount.
Speaker: So what is the the feedback loop, like natural feedback loop in baseball, as you put it where you're aiming? Yeah. What is the feedback loop now between innings or with coaches that are connecting all the way back to the training? Yeah, so...
Speaker: The game tells you a lot. So during the game, you know, say two years ago when I was throwing slower than I am now, I was throwing pitches in certain locations and they were getting hit.
Speaker: Whereas now i have a little more wiggle room and I'm able to throw those pitches in the same location. But now I'm getting swings and misses where as opposed to years prior, it was getting hit.
Speaker: So the feedback loop is you let the game tell you. The game isn't going lie to you at the end of the day. So two years ago when I was in Asheville, I wasn't getting a lot of swing and miss.
Speaker: Balls were getting hit hard. I was giving up a lot of home runs. Whereas this past year, With that velocity program, i was able to see I was a better pitcher going into the year because I had so many more tools that allowed me to be a better pitcher. So it just it it definitely allows you mental freedom and physical freedom because you know you have the stuff to compete.
Speaker: And when you go out on the mound, you just do everything you you can do to win. And that's that's my biggest thing is just... So much work goes into it off the field. And yeah I feel like I've taken a lot of pride in that is just doing the boring things really well.
Speaker: And just when you go out to the game, just do everything you can and let the work you've done prior take care of itself. Yeah, and I mean, as a fan of baseball, you see a lot of different pitching styles. It could be just their approach, their stance, or you get guys that are really eccentric, and they get fired up. Yeah. what's What's your mentality, your mindset and approach to stepping onto the mound to allow you to compete your best? Yeah, so whenever I go out there, I personally just think – I know I've put in the work off the field, so I know I can go out there and say, i am literally the best version of myself up to this point.
Speaker: And that gives me the mental freedom during the game, like i said, to just go out there and pitch. And there's nothing more that I love than pitching. And it's I see it in such a cool way because...
Speaker: I don't look at pitching as, oh, wow, that guy threw 100. look at guys pitching as, oh, he threw a curveball first pitch, and now he threw a changeup off that. How is he sequencing, and what is he doing that other guys aren't? And baseball's such a cool sport to where...
Speaker: You got guys who are six foot and they throw a one hundred. And then you have guys that are six, eight and they throw 90 where it's like, everybody's so different in their way. And you just really, really have to stay true to who you are personally. Mm-hmm.
Speaker: Yeah, and I read a book years ago. was called Head Game. It was just about that. Yeah. Where it's like, what is a pitcher thinking? What is he thinking? He's going to think I'm going to throw that. So I know he's thinking that I'm going to throw that. yeah i'm gonna go to So take us through that just mindset and approach because you you now have a pitch clock. You can't have this whole Rigger Maroo, Greg Maddox, take your sweet time. uhu And his documentary is fantastic, by the way. Unbelievable. So yeah, yeah not not dogging him, just saying like his thought process. It's a different game. Yeah, it' so it's such a different game now that it's like everything's fast paced. So in between pitches, in college, I used to be a guy that would step off the mound.
Speaker: breathe, recollect, go throw the next pitch. If I was to do that now, it would be ball one, ball two, ball three, ball four, because it's just, you don't have enough time to do it. So that was also a big step, was condensing my pre-pitch routine down into something that's only going to take five to seven seconds because I can't take 20 seconds because then the clock's going run out. So it's definitely shortened the time, but I've taken pride in it because now I know, okay, I have enough time to do this and I'm ready to go for this next pitch. So,
Speaker: Just centering myself. I'm a big breath guy. i go two inhales, one exhale, or I'll breathe in for four, hole for four, out for four.
Speaker: It changes when I'm out there versus when I'm in the dugout. When I'm in the dugout, it's kind of just slow, close my eyes, recenter my breathing, recenter, get my heart rate down a little bit. Whereas it's out there, it's, all right, now I got to go throw this next pitch.
Speaker: And then, I mean, mentally, that's one thing. How did this clock shot clock change you physically? Because now we're going faster. I personally like it because...
Speaker: Once I get in a rhythm, I feel good. And CJ has talked to us about this so many times about flow state. And just... When you're in flow state, that is when you're going to perform your best. Because you're not thinking about anything.
Speaker: You're just doing. And you're you're trusting yourself. And... um Yeah, so it's just... getting in that flow state and just being calm and just, you know, not letting your mind race at a thousand miles an hour. Whereas, like i said, in college, I'd be thinking about, oh, what did I throw this guy last time? What what did i what am I going to do this time? Whereas now it's, okay, I knew what I did.
Speaker: I figure all that out out while I'm in the dugout and I go out there and I just do me. And I just, I stay true to who I am. Time out. Coach needs a coach. I want you to take a second to reflect on this past season and what did not click. Were there moments where you lost your temper, lost your cool, felt your team was mentally soft, weak, not prepared to face competition? Were there moments where they put their heads down and were not ready or accepting?
Speaker: Did they quit on you? Did they quit on their their teammates during a game? What was that experience like? How did you manage it? How did you handle it? I have a course out here. It's called Why They're Not Listening, Coaching Today's Athlete, where I dive into a concept I've been working on that's called social-emotional leadership. How do we use practices? How do we use strength and conditioning sessions to develop our leaders to have self-awareness, social awareness, and then have a toolkit to then lead not only their teammates, but themselves.
Speaker: But it starts with you, Coach. i encourage you to check out this. my first lesson in the course is free. To find that, head to listen.captainsandcoaches.com. Start preparing now for next season and everything that you're investing will start to pay off.
Speaker: Now, back to the show. Ready, ready, and break. I'm not going to be the guy that goes out there and is like, I'm going to throw this ball 100 miles an hour. That's not me. And that's fine because there's so, like I said before, there's so many different types of pitchers that it allows you to be you and you're not going to be afraid to be you out there.
Speaker: Yeah, that's cool. So then are are you calling the pitches as the catcher, as coach? Yeah, so before the game, we have a attack plan. We call them attack plan meetings um where I come in with my notes on the hitters.
Speaker: Catcher comes in with his notes on the hitters. Our pitching coach has his notes on the hitters. And it's kind of a collective effort as to what we're going to do with the hitters. So my biggest thing is the days leading up, I call them the study guide days where that's what I'm going to do. Everything I possibly can to know about the hitters.
Speaker: What, what do they like in certain counts? And then that day I go throw in the game, that's test day. You don't have the study guide anymore. You go out, you, If you don't know it, you don't know it. And i don't want to be the person that goes out there and says, oh I wasn't prepared. I never want to be that person. So prior to the game, i go in with everything I possibly have and we we kind of go off that. And it it's fluid. It's so fluid in the fact that The scouting report on Tuesday for a game can be completely different than the scouting report on Saturday for a game because we're playing the same team Tuesday to Sunday. So it's fluid in the fact that it's always changing, but it's a collective effort in the fact that the pitches being called are on the pitcher and the catcher.
Speaker: It's not... put a sign down, you have to throw that. I can shake if I want to, but most of the time I like not to because me and the catcher are or on the same page prior to the game and we have a game plan and we're just going to go to execute. and Throughout the different levels in college and high school, how has that relationship been with your catcher? Are you guys like two peas in a pod? Yeah, it's unbelievable. We literally are two peas in a pod.
Speaker: Pro Bowl, what's cool about it is you don't have one certain catcher. There's usually three rosters or three catchers on a roster. So you're throwing to multiple different catchers. Where in college...
Speaker: It was only one catcher most of the time. So I take pride in that because it makes me develop a relationship with all three guys now. And i want I want to take as much pressure off of the catcher as possible. And I just want them to be confident in me.
Speaker: And I'm going to tell you now, I'm always confident in them because they can see a lot more than I can back there. Yeah. I mean, some of the best managers. Oh, my gosh. Former catchers. Yeah. so So many guys that are just...
Speaker: The catcher is kind of like the unsung hero in a sense that... glue guy. Exactly. Glue guy. And if they mess up, ah they're getting all the, all the burn, like they get the worst end of it. Whereas if they just do their job, no one really says anything to them. It's kind of like an offensive lineman where you give up a sack.
Speaker: Somebody is going to say something. and They're going to be on you about something. Whereas a catcher, they, they really are the the battery of this whole thing. And they, they do make us go and I can't explain enough how much they mean to me.
Speaker: Man, my one of my dream jobs is bullpen catcher. Yeah. so it's The cool thing about a bullpen catcher is they see so much. Like, they catch so many arms. They catch literally top to bottom every single guy.
Speaker: And they're always taking it. they a roster spot? or they're They're not a roster spot. They're a guy. Yeah, they're a guy. That's awesome. uhuh there We have a bullpen catcher in there. It's literally the most, like, thankless job. Like, they do so much for us. And we try and pay them back at the end of the year. But literally nothing can pay back a bullpen catcher.
Speaker: Are they like a ah coach, former player? How do you get that gig? half Sometimes they'll be a former player, whether they played in college, high school. Sometimes you'll have guys that are just passionate about the game, and they've watched the game since they were young and just studied it and have become into this great baseball mind. so Like a caddy. Yeah, literally. And that's what's cool about baseball is that there's so many walks of life and so many different paths to whether it be a coach or a player that get to where they want to be.
Speaker: Man. it's It's the coolest sport ever. It's literally the coolest sport ever. Yeah. i I do enjoy it from the fan. So what's cool about baseball is everyone everyone has a story. Whether it's connected to to childhood or family or someone they idolized and they had a moment where somebody gave them something. I was fortunate to grow up across the street from Lance Berkman. yeah Astro great Killer so it's like he always gave me the time of day yeah you he didn't have to ah and that was i mean many moments but that was that was some of the coolest stuff I had what were some of the baseball moments that like sunk this in yeah to this is what you want to do
Speaker: So just growing up, my my grandfather actually played in the NBA. Okay. So I was a huge basketball fan, actually. And so my dad, I was into sports. Yeah. My dad and my mom got me and me and my brother into sports when we were little just because we were a sports family. Like, loved the New York Giants, loved the Knicks. Like, just a huge sports guy, to be honest. And...
Speaker: just watching games on TV and my dad bringing me to games and just so many different things that, you know, get you, they give you a taste of what it's like essentially. And you go to say Yankee stadium, for example, and you you you go see batting practice and you're like, that's so cool. They get to do this for a living.
Speaker: Um, so there's so many different things, but just, just being around baseball and, Watching Clayton Kershaw grow up, for me personally, it was my favorite thing. I just – he was a lefty. I'm a lefty. And more importantly, he's a good guy.
Speaker: And he does good stuff off the field. So just watching stuff like that and always being around baseball with my brother and my parents just kind of got me into it. But like i said, i was a huge basketball fan growing up and probably – high school, sophomore, junior year was when I really started to get into baseball because I was good at it. yeah And i started to lean towards baseball, but I didn't get away from other sports. I played all sports growing up and I feel like that's what's shaped me into the athlete I am today because –
Speaker: I was able to take my mind off of baseball like we talked about before. And i would play basketball in the winter. yeah And just just so many different things growing up and kind of getting little little seasoned stuff of it.
Speaker: Yeah. I mean, you're you're practicing being competitive in other arenas. Yeah. And that that's what I loved about basketball was it was different than baseball. You know, baseball, I'm a pitcher.
Speaker: the The man in the arena. that's That's how I see baseball is I'm out there. I'm doing my thing. Whereas basketball, it's more like plays. You have plays. You're working together as a team. Where baseball, you are working as a team.
Speaker: But as a pitcher, you got the ball in your hand. You're controlling a lot of that outcome. um So it's cool in that that that fact. with can I'd love to take a moment for you to speak to the youth. Because sports specialization, especially in baseball, in Texas where i am yeah they're they're missing out on other great sports opportunities and moments to learn about themselves.
Speaker: Maybe they fall in love with basketball. Maybe they fall in love with lacrosse. But they were told it's baseball or nothing. All year round, yeah um so my thing is I would play the most sports as possible growing up and that I'm so thankful for my parents for that that I played everything football soccer baseball basketball whatever it was go try it and I think that like you said is lost in today and you see a lot of burnout from kids and they get to 17 years old and then they're like, i don't like baseball that much anymore. And it's like, you were playing for 17 years basically and you have nothing else.
Speaker: So I think, I personally think playing as many sports as possible, like you said, is so beneficial because you're competing at the end of the day, but you're competing in different arenas, like you said, different sports. And competing in basketball is different than competing in baseball. And...
Speaker: I think it shapes athletes into a better athlete by just exposing yourself to different movements, different whatever it is, and just getting that stimulus of just competing year-round but not in the same sport. I think it goes a long way.
Speaker: Time out. Let's take a second to talk training. I'm giving more of my training tools that I'm doing for myself to you. i have a new dynamic movement and kettlebell flow program. It takes less than 15 minutes a day. I use this in the morning right when I wake up. Yoga mat.
Speaker: red light, kettlebell, hit my flow. This also can double down as a warm-up for any program that you're following. There is no one in the strength conditioning game that cares more about the warm-up than I do. Bull Bull has it, my Strength Speed Swagger program has it, a lot of the programs out there that you're following, they don't have it.
Speaker: What I want to do is maximize any program that you're following using this warm-up or get your day started right. It's up to you how you use It takes less than 15 minutes a day to flow, hit a kettlebell, and feel great.
Speaker: Check out seven-day free trial of this program. Hit the link in the show notes, or if you're watching on YouTube, here's the link right here. Now, back to the show. Ready, ready, and break. In the locker rooms that you've been in,
Speaker: what's What's the background from those guys? Are they single-sport guys? It literally comes from all different places. For the most part, I would say, though, everybody was a dual-sport athlete for the most part. There's obviously guys here or there that were only baseball.
Speaker: But I feel like that's what's cool about baseball is – we're We're pretty good athletes for the most part, where sometimes guys are like, baseball? ah They're not the best athletes. But I've seen guys, like, we throw the football around before games, and I see you guys throw it, and I'm like, oh, my gosh.
Speaker: That is one of the most impressive footballs I've ever seen thrown in my life. And then they're like, I was a QB in high school. And I'm like... That makes sense. And just some of the best athletes I've ever been around. Guys are throwing windmill dunks down and I'm like, oh my gosh, this is incredible. You would think you're a star star basketball player, but you're star baseball player.
Speaker: and How about golfers? Oh, we love golf. Everybody loves golf. Whether we're good or bad, we love golf. we yeah we we We try and get golf in as much as we can. And personally for me, just a time to take a break. in nothing better than walking nine holes, in my opinion, and just ah hanging around with your friends and just walking around, getting nature and having fun and just experiencing different ways to compete. And that isn't baseball.
Speaker: Yeah, and you're still getting reps on focus, uhuh breath, control, yeah coordination. uhhuh and then It brings out ah it brings out a ah really good side, but golf definitely is so stressful because it makes me appreciate when I watch, say, the Masters or the Open. Whatever it is, I watch it and I'm like...
Speaker: These guys are the best golfers I've ever seen. And the margin between them and me is so big it's not even funny. And so that's why when I watch sports, I appreciate them at such a different level now that I'm able to play professional baseball than I did prior.
Speaker: Yeah, and on the golf course, there's a high amount of trash talking. Yeah. So one thing I find unique, and CJ's the best of the best, yeah is in a locker room, the ability to to trash talk.
Speaker: And then there's a formal term. It's called radical candor. Yeah. To where if I'm talking trash to you and you're giving it back, We're forming a bond. Yeah. And now it's a t trust that we take into the field. Yeah. Versus ah defensiveness and us taking it personally. Yeah. We distrust. So it's almost a way where we that build a bond. Yeah. At the same time, you're testing my tough skin. Yeah. I'm testing yours. And it's like, oh, I know he can give it and take it. Let's let's go get him. And in the in the baseball locker room,
Speaker: I call it clowning around. That's what I like to call it. Or we call it banter, which is just back and forth. All about the banter. We're huge on that. Whether it be playing cards, whether it be us playing ping pong, we're in the hacky sack a lot. We're we're always, i don't want to say talking trash to each other. It's candor.
Speaker: But yeah, we're we're giving it back to each other. And I think that's what makes... a bond as us pitchers personally so tight is that one, we're always around each other, but two, we joke around with each other all the time. And that, like you said, has made our bonds so much closer because We know we can mess around, but we know at the end of the day, we're developing a really good relationship with each other. And like I said before, that's the biggest thing for me is I just want to have good relationships with people. And you never know down the road how you can help someone out or how someone can help you out. And that's that's my biggest thing is the relationship piece. Yeah.
Speaker: So you've had the opportunity to play it at multiple levels within the professional realm. like what's What's your day one mindset? You walking it into a locker room for the first time? You want to be tough guy, set the tone? or with ah Personally, me, no, that's not me. I'm more of like a happy-go-lucky kind of guy. Yeah.
Speaker: ah um like I like to talk a lot. I'm from New Jersey. By now, people can tell New Jersey people like to talk a lot. And that's just... That's how I am. First thing I try and do when I get in the locker room, meet all the guys. Say hello. How are you?
Speaker: At least put a name to a face. And that's... Personally, what I try to do, um just because I feel like that keeps the relationship fluid and it allows it to be a space that isn't like, oh, we have to be so serious in here all the time. Like, it gives us a ah space to joke around. But then, on the flip side of that, talk some stuff out with guys and just...
Speaker: know that I want to make guys feel comfortable coming to me and talking to me. um And at the end of the day, that's that's what I want to make it. I want to make it a comfortable relationship to where if you have to talk to me about an off-the-field issue, be my guest. Come talk to me.
Speaker: I'm cool with that. And I want to be a a resource to guys. want to be a service to guys and just talk to them and help them through anything they can because at the end of the day, it's it's bigger than baseball. Yeah.
Speaker: it's It is bigger than baseball, but whatever I can do to help is is what I want to do. Yeah, leadership, it is. Conflict's a good thing. So you can sense when somebody's, maybe they're having a bad day, need you lift up.
Speaker: Or you can sense some friction between you and another player. yeah And then leader is taking that charge. I'll initiate this conversation because this may affect the team. And i I like to do that because nothing's more awkward than a tense locker room or a frustrated locker room with each other. then it's You can feel that. Yeah, you can definitely feel that sometimes. um But...
Speaker: The cool thing is with the relationship and just, like I said before, the banter, it allows that that roadway to, hey, we have a problem with each other? Okay, we can talk it out. And even on the field, guys make mistakes. That's it.
Speaker: At the end of the day, that is going to happen and emotions run high in a game. it's You see it on TV all the time. It's the World Series right now. If somebody makes a mistake,
Speaker: You might see someone get frustrated with another guy. But I guarantee you once they step behind closed doors, they hash it out, they figure it out, and it's done. There's no hard feelings. um So like I said, just developing the relationship that allows you to sense if something's wrong. It's not going to be weird if I come up to you and say, hey, is everything all right?
Speaker: You know, making it not weird. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Speaker: may have just gotten the title yeah episode making it not weird yeah well pictures yeah are weird are weird we're weird we're very weird one what are some funny quirks that you have yeah help get you locked in and then sub question what are some of the weirdest ones that you've witnessed and you don't have to name names all right so for me personally um I've kind of gotten away from it. I try to, but I'm very superstitious. I i wear the same outfit fit to the field on game day. try to wear the same socks. I try to do the same everything on game day. um
Speaker: try to make the same breakfast. i try I try and do the same thing on game day as best as I can. But i saw a thing on Adam Wainwright and he was talking about superstitions and how if you aren't able to get it in, that's where a mental block comes in and you're like, oh, I didn't get to do this.
Speaker: I can't perform today. So i've I've tried my best to step away from the superstition to the fact that I'm not like, oh, I didn't do this. I'm going to do bad.
Speaker: i try I try and just keep it keep it simple. um But yeah, that that's my biggest superstition is wearing the same outfit to the field on the game day. I'm trying to think of any weird ones that guys have.
Speaker: um I mean, you see so many. Some guys like to meditate. Some guys like to take a nap. um I would say probably the weirdest one is guys with certain meals. Okay. um they won't, they have to eat the same meal before their start.
Speaker: But I do that too. So I guess i guess I'm the weird one in that in that fact. Well... It's got to be Chipotle. It has to be Chipotle. What if you're in bum-eff-nowhere? That's what I've gotten better at. Whereas is if i in college, if I was to do that, I would have crumbled.
Speaker: I would have been like, we're in the middle of nowhere. We don't have Chipotle. This is going to be a bad outing. I would have wrote it off before it even happened. Whereas now... If there's no Chipotle, they give us food at the field.
Speaker: I'll just eat the food at the field. And I'm like, I'm cool with this. just have to have my black coffee, though. that's I try and make it as close as possible. um So, yeah, there there are times where I'm like, oh, my gosh, there's no Chipotle.
Speaker: But then I'd like take a step back and I'm like, you're going to be all right that there's no Chipotle. You can eat whatever you got to eat. um So, yeah. Control the controllables. Control the controllables. Clothes, feel, are controlled. Yep.
Speaker: Yep. Coffee, controllable. Coffee, controllable. No, definitely controllable. Yeah. All right. for For some fun questions here. yeah Baseball movies.
Speaker: By far the best sporting movies, in my opinion. And there's a whole rack of awesome ones. So many good baseball movies. What's your favorite one of all time? i'll go I'll go serious and non-serious baseball. Let's do that. So serious, I'll go money ball because that kind of peels back the curtain a little bit of what a front office does for a team and how much impact they really have and how much work goes into constructing a team. you know
Speaker: Sometimes on the outside, it's like, oh, why didn't he do that? Why didn't you make that move where it's like, there's There's a process to this whole thing, and there's a lot more that goes into it than just the regular fan saying, I want that guy. You know, it's hard. Did you read the book?
Speaker: I haven't read the book. Oh, man. I've only seen the movie. I have to read the book. Yeah, they're both amazing. Okay, I'll read the book. Yeah, Michael Lewis, the author, uhhuh he just does a phenomenal job. he's Every book he writes seems to just be amazing. I'll put that on the wish list right now. mean, even a listen. Yeah.
Speaker: it's in Yeah, just the like the true statistical power that's taken over baseball. like It takes you through the story, the origins of where those guys... Where it comes from. Yeah. The data and analytics comes from. And how, I mean, the A's got away with it for a long time until it became now it's...
Speaker: Yeah, it's it's pretty much... It's normal now. like But that was cool because... it showed the shift in baseball. You know, it kind of highlighted it that, okay, we're using these ways and we can make the team better by using these these ways and this data.
Speaker: um So, yeah, I feel like it's cool because it highlighted the shift and kind of like the integration of data and analytics into baseball. And that's kind of the game we know now. So it kind of, like I said, peels back the curtain and allows you to look at what they're doing behind the scenes. And I personally like that because I love baseball.
Speaker: I do. I love baseball. Nerd. Yeah, I am a baseball nerd. Like, I'll watch the World Series right now, and I'm like... what So what lens are you watching from? Because I'm just... I don't have a dog in this fight. I'm a close game that's fun. I...
Speaker: Personally watch the pitchers. Like, krsha Yamamoto the other day in game two, I watched that, and my my jaw was on the ground the whole time. I'm like, he goes out there and throws 25 pitches inning one, and you're like,
Speaker: He's got to crawl all his way to five innings here. Like, if he gets five innings in, that's a good start. huh And he goes out there and throws nine in 110 pitches max.
Speaker: So I watch it in the lens that I watch what the pitchers do. I watch how they sequence. And when a big name, say like Vladimir Guerrero Jr. gets up and a lefty's throwing, I'm like, all right, that's how that's what he did to get him out.
Speaker: I want to see what he well if he what he hits, yeah what he hits his home runs on. I watch it in that in that lens. Whereas like if I was to watch football, I'm like, oh, why didn't he throw it there? and I don't know football on that level. So yeah baseball, I like watching playoff baseball because the emotions are so high, but the pitching's so good. It's like the pitching takes a whole nother step. And this postseason has been incredible for pitching. There's been so many complete games. There's been so many guys that go seven innings and 90 pitches. And it's like, how did you just do that? That's incredible. So I watched it in the lens that –
Speaker: I watch it as like a player. you know i don't I don't watch it as the score. i can all almost care less about the score. I watch it as what the pitchers are doing and how they're executing and what they're doing in between pitches and yeah the little things. And I kind of get worked up over some of the little things, but...
Speaker: That's just the way it goes. Yeah, there was one, I forget his name, he's Toronto pitcher, he was against the Yankees, it was masterful, six innings, like 12 Ks. Yeah. And trying to think no it was a no-hitter, but they needed to save his arm, so they took him out, and then the bullpen gave up like nine runs. Oh, yeah. But blew out. Uh-huh. So it was like, um i was glad Toronto didn't blow it, because the dude just nailed it for six.
Speaker: Yeah, I think that was the the guy who actually debuted this year. Okay. i Yeah, he I think he debuted this year. He went like, i remember, it was like six innings. Yeah. And then they took him out. And I'm like. um Yeah, so that that's, it's crazy. It's so crazy watching on a different level. Like, as a starter,
Speaker: I watch it as I want the starter to go seven innings because then the bullpen only has to go two. And right now, the bullpen arms, I can't imagine how they feel.
Speaker: they're They're getting used every night. yeah and But this is it. Yeah. And that gives them a peace of mind at the end of the day that they're like, all right, I'm throwing every day, but I only have a week left of this. And I'm throwing in the World Series. Like – It doesn't get better than that. It it literally doesn't get better than that.
Speaker: So, I do. I watch from a little bit of a different lens. Yeah. but you have to. yeah So now, how do you watch movies? with Like, that's the serious behind the scenes, but how are you watching when there's actually, like, baseball?
Speaker: I love baseball. Like, I've seen literally all of them. So... If I want a serious movie... You're critiquing Charlie Sheen's technique here? No, no. Not at all. Like that, I'll watch and I'm just dying laughing the whole time because it's a funny movie.
Speaker: um But yeah, i baseball movies is different because most of the time it's not like... There's no game being shown. You know? Like there's no actual game, real time, real stats, real stuff like that. It's a movie. So it's kind of being portrayed in a different lens. But...
Speaker: ah I love watching baseball movies. Like my personal favorite non-serious baseball movie is Benchwarmers. Okay. i love it. Just growing up, me and my brother would watch it all the time. It's a classic.
Speaker: Yeah. Every time I watch it, I find a new line to cite and i just laugh the whole entire time. So it It's good. I love it. Yeah. Any of those lines, make it in the locker room. You call it out and somebody's like, yeah. Oh, all the time. oh We're as pitchers, TV show, podcast, movies. That's like on the bench. If I'm not pitching, we're watching a game in between innings.
Speaker: Talk about some movies, talk about some TV shows, get some, get some on the wishlist, get some on the watch list. And We have a lot of downtime. Like I said, 12 hour bus rides will will make you watch some different movies, some different TV shows.
Speaker: Yeah. Well, bus rides and pitchers, bull Durham. Yeah. So as as a catcher treated you like that, has he been like mentor leader and kind of brought you back down if you ever got too high?
Speaker: There are times, yes. um I've tried to work on that as best as I possibly can because in a year at this point my life, I throw 26 times a year.
Speaker: If I throw the first outing and it's the best outing of the year, I'm doing my job job wrong. I'm supposed to get better as the year goes on. And I feel like personally this year I did the best I possibly could with you know staying here.
Speaker: Staying just equilibrium. not If I have a bad outing... I show up the next day, you would never know I had a bad outing. Because one, I'm working to make sure that outing never happens again because mentally, I'm like, I never want that to happen again.
Speaker: And then physically, i just working as hard as I possibly can to be better for the next outing. And then after that outing, better for the next one. And by the end of the year,
Speaker: I'm like, I feel so good. I want to keep going. And that's what my goal for every year is. At the end of the year, i can say, i can give you more. I have more to go, you know, because I'm always trying to take a step up and step ahead.
Speaker: Yeah. Awesome. Yeah. Bull Durham is my favorite. Oh, great movie. Dynamic relationship. Yeah. And that, that's what's cool about baseball is there's so much back and forth and it's,
Speaker: has anybody got che Has anyone told you to breathe through your eyelids? No. No one yet. okay No one yet. We're just putting it there. we're putting it out there. ah Okay. This fun, I feel, the Astros are the best mascots in all the minor leagues. Yeah. They got some good ones. We got the Woodpeckers. Yeah. And then the the Hooks logo. Oh, it's so Sparkling City.
Speaker: Yeah. It's sparkling city. Yeah. And then freaking my favorite mascot of all time, Space Cowboys. Space Cowboys. It's got to be...
Speaker: It's got to be the best one in minor baseball. Yeah. Because it's so funny. People be like, what team do you play for? I'm like, I'm on the Space Cowboys right now. And they're like, what? You're the Space Cowboys? And that that's what's cool about minor league baseball is you have teams that have cool names and we have cool uniforms. Like, yeah that's what I feel like is really cool.
Speaker: There was a team, I forget who did it, in New Jersey. And they were the Jersey Diners for one game. And I'm like... I like that. that's That's what I like. What's been the like the weirdest one game mascot you've been a part of? Ooh.
Speaker: We did the the rodeo clowns. Rodeo, that's a great one. Yeah, we did the rodeo clowns. that Those jerseys were awesome. I'm going have to Google that. Yeah, those ones. It's the Paisos de Rodeo.
Speaker: Okay. Yeah. Those ones were cool. I mean, we have so many. I know. There's so many. I love the Whataburger theme. Yeah. The honey butter chicken biscuits. Those were cool. I only threw in that uniform once. Um...
Speaker: You still got it? I mean, I'm framing that one. Yeah, we don't get to keep the uniforms. We only get to keep the hats. um So, yeah. that's that We definitely have some cool mascots. Yeah, that's great. ah Well, cool, man. If people want to continue to follow your journey, your career, yeah and just keep the the the energy, the momentum behind your arm, where can they go?
Speaker: You can follow me on Instagram, Trey underscore D, 4216. um And yeah, that's that's pretty much it. I try and keep my content up to date and try not to post too much.
Speaker: Try and just keep it up to date. and You're focused. Yeah. you lock stay Stay as focused as I possibly can be. One last question. Numbers. what How do you go about selecting your – what is your number? How do you about I've got a couple numbers in the bag. I've got number 16.
Speaker: that's That's what my dad wore and my brother wore that. So I've got that. Number 12, my grandpa's number in the NBA. Okay. 26 was my number given to me in high school. So that's by default my number one go-to is 26. I was 28 in pro ball one year.
Speaker: It's kind of first come, first serve, to be honest. But if 12, 26, or 16 is there, or sixteens there That's going to be me. Okay. I'm just thinking Astro-wise. I don't think these are retired. We've got Jeff Kent, 12.
Speaker: 16 was Hidalgo. don't know if the dogs' numbers retired on the Raptors there. but Yeah, i don't I don't think so. 26. Who do we got for 26? I'm digging deep here. 26.
Speaker: twenty six um man i can picture his face maybe adam everett he was a shortstop yeah i don't i don't know if there's um man i'd have to do some digging we might have to do some digging there hey there's there's plenty of uh could go 22 now with clinton kershaw kershaw but that was clemens i don't know the situation clemens and h i would yeah i don't know Unbelievable pitchers. Just unbelievable pitchers. 22 is a good number. I like 22. And lacrosse, too, is a big established number. If you wear 22, you better be a dude. Yeah, you got to be the guy. Yeah. Okay.
Speaker: Well, now now when I go to my next lacrosse game, I will be picking out number 22 because they better be good. They better be good. If not, I'll report back to you. Yeah, I do have a fun Clemens story for you. This is one of my favorite baseball moments with my dad.
Speaker: So going to May 2003, 2004, it was San Francisco Giants versus Astros. And we had club seats, great seats, right behind home plate.
Speaker: So had Clemens versus Bonds. And then first inning, first at bat for for Bonds, my dad turns to me. Hall of Fame matchup. You're never going to forget this. yeah Intentional walk.
Speaker: Second. Second at bat. Dad turns to me. Hall of Fame matchup. You're never going to forget this. Intentional Intentional walk. Third at bat. Looks me. Doesn't even say anything. Intentional walk.
Speaker: Now, fourth at bat. Game on the line. You can intentionally walk. Bases must have been loaded. Like, you don't have an option here. Clemens is still late in the game. going have an eighth inning.
Speaker: Dad looks at me again, doesn't say anything. And then, like, strikeout. Yeah. It was awesome. Freaking Enron Field. Oh, it used to be Enron Field. Oh, yeah. Was with that before Minute Maid? Oh, yeah. Was it Enron, then Minute Maid? Enron, then Minute Maid. Now it's the ice box. It was the juice box.
Speaker: And Enron, I mean, we only have bad nicknames for it now. Yeah, yeah. but At the time, it was good. At the time, it was good. And I've been fortunate also to to 20-plus ballparks. Favorite one?
Speaker: What's your favorite one? Minimate or Baltimore. Really? Yeah. You ever been to Pittsburgh? I've been to Pittsburgh. It's very pretty. the The backdrop there looks is something else. Yeah. But I also bias towards the sun setting through the windows at the juice box. It's so nice there. And when they shut that glass during the postseason? Oh, it gets loud. That's a loud park right there. Oh, yeah. That's a loud park. Yeah, any postseason, I'll make the road trip home and we're going. You got to...
Speaker: standing only Standing room only system. My dad and I got, there's a Chick-fil-A right behind the home plate. uhhuh So then we sneak between the Chick-fil-A and the the support beam.
Speaker: So just pack in there. We're packed in. Get a good, get a good seat. We got our spot and I just gave away my secret, but it's like, that's all right. It's a spot. We'll race you there. Yeah. But, um, cool, man, dude.
Speaker: Yeah. Love baseball. I'm glad CJ was able to connect us. Yeah. I'm so thankful you let me come on and just talk, you know, I love talking and i appreciate you having me on. Cool. time Well, yeah. Best of luck. Thank you. Appreciate it. Yeah.
Speaker: And thank you tuning in. and shut scene scene all you're the man how long oh we're a little long i didn't expect it to be that long cool no that's what like that's what saying that's good we were talking for a while yeah it's good stuff felt like quick 20 minutes all right go in your warm-up and uh i appreciate it yeah we'll yeah wrap up dude
