Post columnist Steve Serby catches up with Yankees backstop Kyle Higashioka for some All-Star break Q&A.

Q: Favorite movie?

A: “Bull Durham.” That’s almost a 100 percent accurate depiction of my life for the first 10 years of my career. … Going through the minor leagues, it’s such a unique experience that I don’t think most people realize what it’s like. Because “Bull Durham” is such a goofy movie (smile), you think like, “Oh, this was made for comedy, just to make people laugh.” But it’s like 99 percent accurate of what our life is like in the minors, where it’s like the long bus trips, praying for rainouts and … people marrying girls that come to the ballgame … all of that stuff happens. It sounds too ridiculous to be true, but it really is. I lived it for so long. I’ve had a lot of good memories in the minors … some tough years, but a lot of great memories. It’s just something I’ll never forget.

Q: What enabled you to persevere?

A: A couple of people told me early on when I started, you don’t stop playing until they tell you [that] you can’t anymore. I always had spurts of moments where I would play like a big leaguer, but it was the consistency that always evaded me. I think just those little moments kind of gave me the belief that OK, if I can do this for a week, I have to be able to do it for longer than that. I have to be able to do it for a month. And if I can do it for a month, I have to be able to do it for half a season. And then if I can do it for half a season, why can’t I do it for a whole season? Also, this is what I’ve always wanted to do, so I’m not gonna stop until they tell me to stop.

Q: Was there one specific low point during your minor league decade?

A: I think my combination 2012 and 2013. … [In] 2012, I started in High-A, then I went to Double-A, didn’t get a hit for like my first 20-something at-bats, and when I went back down to High-A, they had called Gary [Sanchez] up to High-A, so then I was playing like once a week. And when you’re a minor league backup catcher, it’s a really tough road. There’s not much light at the end of the tunnel there ’cause if you want to make it to the big leagues, you gotta play. … Seemed like the future was a little bleak for me. [In] 2013, I started as the backup in Double-A, and then had Tommy John surgery, and that kept me out for over a year. That was kind of when I was really questioning, like, if I was even gonna be offered a job after that. And I went into minor league free agency, too, so my contract was technically up. But luckily, the Yankees still offered me a contract after that and sent me to the Fall League, and I kind of got my confidence going a little better, and from there on it was pretty good.

Q: Was there one big breakthrough you can reflect back on?

A: I think when I went to the Fall League, that gave me a lot of confidence, because I only played once or twice a week, I was on the taxi squad. But I ended up hitting like .400, and it was against some of the best prospects in the game. That for me was like, OK, like, I just had surgery, but I can still play. After the 2015 season, I kind of took a chance and completely revamped my swing, and it ended up working out for the best, I had a breakout year in ’16, and they put me on the 40-man [roster].

Q: What was revamped about your swing?

A: I was just trying to copy some of the big league guys that I liked watching. Just taking a chance on what I thought was right rather than kind of what was being taught at the time. … It was kind of like the up-and-coming hitting philosophy of not trying to hit the ball on the ground, either line drives or in the air, and matching the plane of the pitch with the swing rather than cutting down on the ball and creating backspin.

Q: Who were the guys you were trying to model your swing after?

A: Actually the biggest guy was [Josh] Donaldson. [The 2015 season] was his MVP year with the Blue Jays and I was just like, “I can’t believe the guy that’s the same size as me can hit the ball that hard and that far.” So I was like, “He has to be doing something different than everyone else.” To generate that much power, almost the same power as [Giancarlo] Stanton, for a guy his size is just incredible. So I looked to him, [Miguel] Cabrera, I looked a little bit at J.D Martinez … some of the right-handers that I really liked the way their swing looked, and their numbers.

Q: Did you ever pick Donaldson’s brain?

A: No, I never got to talk to him until we traded for him. And, like, the first day that he was in the clubhouse in spring training, he talked to me for like two hours about hitting. And it was just like … incredible. His knowledge of the game and of the swing and of hitting is so vast. Just having him here is a huge benefit to us, because he teaches all of us so much about the approach and the swing and just little things that you could only learn through years of experience.

Q: The late Stick Michael was someone who helped your confidence?

A: He was an incredible person … just like a crazy eye for seeing things in people that no one else can see. He actually came up to me in spring training of 2016, that was the year I kind of broke out offensively, but I didn’t really know I was going to. Right before that season, he said that he believes in me as a player. He told me: “Don’t let them pigeonhole you into a backup role, because I really believe that you can play, and that you can hit. … You’re a big league player.” And at that point, I had never had a good offensive season in the minor leagues. I was a good defender. … People would always tell me I’m ready to catch in the big leagues, I just need to hit more. But somehow, Stick was able to see that before anybody else could. That was a big deal to me ’cause I know he believed in me.

Q: What do you think your strengths and weaknesses are as a catcher?

A: Strengths, probably pitch framing, working with the pitching staff … weaknesses as a catcher on the defensive side, probably sometimes my throwing can be a little erratic. I threw really well last year, but there’s occasions where I can get a little erratic with the throws, so that’s something that I’m always trying to improve.

Q: And at the plate?

A: That’s been a little less natural for me (laugh). I’ve been able to have some decent power numbers since I’ve been up, but I’m always trying to improve the rate at which I get hits. So, striving for a higher batting average, but also trying to maintain some of the power.

Q: How do you explain hitting three home runs in one 2020 game?

A: I think when you’re hitting ninth, it’s kind of like they don’t expect you to hit three, so when you get two, they think you couldn’t possibly hit another one. And so they keep pitching to you. ’Cause when Judge gets to two, they’re like, “OK, that’s enough.” So I kept getting good pitches to hit.

Q: As a catcher, you have to learn each pitcher’s personality. Let’s start with Gerrit Cole and his mentality on the mound.

A: He’s very intellectual, and he’s almost so in-depth into the game that sometimes Trevvy [Jose Trevino] will have to almost tell him simplify things more, because he’ll pick up on these little things that the hitter’s doing that sometimes we can’t see behind the plate, and they may be important, they may not be. But his stuff is so good that when he just goes out there and does his thing, he’s gonna be successful as long as he’s aggressive and attacks the zone.

Q: Domingo German?

A: Domingo’s another crafty one, to be honest. His pitches come out so funky, there’s so much deception … sometimes I feel like guys will even know what’s coming and they still swing and miss.

Q: Clarke Schmidt?

A: He’s always on the attack. He’s got a couple of great breaking balls and he’s got a lively heater. He’s always just confident, attacking.

Q: Clay Holmes?

A: Just calm, collected. … He knows he’s gonna lock it down at the end of the game no matter what the situation is.

Q: Describe your on-field mentality.

A: I would say very almost cold, calculating. I don’t really like to show too much emotion. I prefer to stay at the same level throughout the entire game, no matter what’s happening. I just think if I let the emotion of the situation dictate how I’m feeling, then I’m gonna be really nervous when it’s bases loaded and I’m trying to get the pitcher to strike a couple of guys out to get out of a jam. Or, I might be way too relaxed if we’re up by six or seven runs, so I try to keep it the exact same every time no matter what.

Q: What was meeting Yogi Berra like?

A: We talked about the weather (smile). He’s always been somebody I’ve looked to. He was so easy to talk to and easy to approach. For a guy to be that successful and that big of a legend in the game, as a young kid that was pretty special.

Q: Memories of Derek Jeter?

A: My locker was next to his in spring training, or across from his, so I would see him every day, we’d talk a little bit. The one thing I recall from him that sticks is, I was walking to breakfast one day in Tampa, and I hear my name called out from a Starbucks or whatever, and I see him, he’s having coffee with a couple of our strength coaches. I just remember as like a 20-year-old kid for a guy like that to go out of his way just to say hi, it meant a lot. He was the biggest name in baseball at the time.

Q: Mariano Rivera?

A: I caught him a few times — bullpens, once in a game. Bullpens, never had to move my glove, not a single time. That’s probably the best command I’ve ever seen from a pitcher. And then, I just remember in the game, we were on the minor league side, he was getting his work in. First batter, lefty, of course I called a cutter inside (smile), and this guy (chuckle) hit it about an inch above where he was holding the bat, and it was so weakly hit, our third baseman was playing in, it landed over the guy’s head, but didn’t make it out of the infield, and it dropped in for a hit, and Mo was just laughing on the mound.

Q: Jorge Posada?

A: We were in spring training together as players. He would always work with me in the drills, and talk to me about handling the pitching staff and just what it takes to be a catcher in the big leagues. I really value my time with him in spring training.

Q: Andy Pettitte?

A: I still talk to Andy. He’s a great guy, I love having him around. I think I caught maybe one or two of his bullpens or live BPs, but just a great guy and a great pitcher. There’s something about somebody who always comes up on the big situations. and that’s him.

Q: Joe Girardi?

A: He was the manager when I first got called up. I remember in spring training, ’cause I was like the seventh or eighth catcher on the roster, but I always wanted at-bats. So like right around the eighth, ninth inning, I’d like put on my helmet, grab my bat, and just stand right next to him in the dugout. And sure enough, eventually he’d be like, somebody who’s been playing all day, he’s like, “Alright, you’re done, Higgy, go get ’em.” So I’d get like an extra at-bat or two every spring (chuckle).

Q: What qualities has made Aaron Judge the successor to Jeter as Captain?

A: I think almost from his first full year in the big leagues, he just showed like a composure and just the way he handled himself that you would expect out of a leader. And ever since then, he’s kind of taken more and more of that mantle of leadership and talking during team meetings and taking young guys under his wing. For him, it’s like he not only is somewhat of a vocal leader, but he leads by example. He’s always typically the last one to leave, he works really hard on his recovery so he can stay on the field. That kind of stuff is important.

Q: Your thoughts on Anthony Volpe?

A: He’s a great player. I’ve really loved playing with him this year, and just seeing him develop. Recently, he’s really turned the corner. It’s been really fun to watch. I can’t say about enough about him, the kind of kid he is as a person and a player.

Q: By the way, you caught two no-hitters in the minors?

A: High-A and Double-A. Jose A. … Ramirez in High-A threw one on like the back end of a doubleheader, so it was only seven innings. And then in Double-A, Ronald Herrera threw eight innings, and then Jonathan Holder finished it in the ninth.

Q: So you’ve had four?

A: Ah, those ones don’t count (smile).

Q: Have you always been a catcher?

A: Since the year before high school. I was an infielder, and then my coach saw me run the 60-yard dash, and apparently he wasn’t too impressed, so he said, “You need to switch to catcher if you want to have a shot to play in the big leagues.” (laugh)

Q: Do you like catcher?

A: Yeah. At first I hated it. I was afraid of the ball like when the pitcher would bounce it or whatever. And then after about a year I probably got over that.

Q: Were there catchers you liked to watch?

A: Yeah. Mike Piazza was kind of the guy when I was a kid ’cause he was a Dodger, so going to Dodger games I liked Piazza. I always liked Benito Santiago, throwing from the knees, that was always fun.

Q: You were a Thurman Munson Award winner?

A: To be even mentioned with Thurman Munson, and him being the Captain and such a fantastic player over the years and influential player and somebody that every one of his teammates loved is a huge honor. I can’t even fathom it.

Q: There are two catchers that have caught four no-hitters or perfect games in the majors. Do you know who they are?

A: I know [Carlos] Ruiz is one. Chooch, yeah, from the Phillies. He caught [Roy] Halladay every time. I don’t know the other one.

Q: Jason Varitek.

A: Oh, yeah, Varitek.

Q: You were an emotional wreck between the eighth and ninth innings of Cory Kluber’s no-hitter in 2021?

A: Catching a no-hitter or a perfect game, it’s something as a catcher you always take pride in. Even though all the credit deservedly goes to the pitcher, but as a catcher, you take pride in your pitchers having success, and for them to achieve that level of success, it’s a big deal, and it’s really difficult. In the same vein, you always feel responsible if things go wrong. Putting down the fingers for a no-hitter … and Kluber is basically relying on me to make a call every time … I felt like I was taking an hour between pitches just or think about what to throw. That was really, really nerve-racking. I think Kluber looked a lot more calm maybe than I did. But I’m sure he was a little nervous too.

Q: Were you calmer at the end of German’s perfect game on June 28?

A: Yeah. Domingo likes to call his own game, pretty much. I’m still suggesting things to him, but if he doesn’t want to throw, he’s not gonna throw. That takes a little bit of pressure off me, because I know that if he doesn’t want to pitch, he’s just gonna shake. And also the fact that I had already had the experience of catching a no-hitter made me realize that there’s nothing out of the ordinary I can do here to make this happen … like it just has to happen on its own. Because we can throw the perfect pitch, and some guy can nub it down the third-base line and we lose the perfect game and a no-hitter. Or we can throw a horrible pitch and a guy hits it 110 miles an hour right at the center fielder, and we still have a perfect game. Putting in that perspective in my head, that takes a lot of pressure off you.

Q: Do you like the pitch clock?

A: I don’t mind it. I end up not really noticing it most of the time.

Q: Three dinner guests?

A: [Dwight] Eisenhower, Lou Gehrig, Mickey Mantle.

Q: Favorite actor?

A: Daniel Craig. I like the James Bond movies.

Q: Favorite singer/entertainer?

A: Iron Maiden.

Q: Favorite meal?

A: Hawaiian barbecue.

Q: Describe your wife, Alyse.

A: Love of my life … but she keeps me in check. So, if I’m ever feeling sorry for myself, she never allows that. But if I need a little pick-me-up, she always is there for that. She’s one of the biggest reasons that I’m here today ’cause of her support. Just having her there all the time is huge.

Q: And your dog Millie?

A: Oh, she’s the best.

Q: What kind of dog is Millie?

A: Half Bernese Mountain Dog and half Golden Retriever.

Q: Favorite New York City things?

A: I love some of the restaurants, like Lucali.

Q: How was it?

A: Some of us know the owner Mark, and it’s incredible.

Q: You have to wait on line, don’t you? There’s no reservations.

A: Some of us know the owner (laugh). … It’s just a really special place. The food is just incredible. And then a lot of us like to go to Don Angie, too.

Q: You still play the guitar. Has Bernie Williams taken you under his wing?

A: I’ve played with Bernie, but he’s a true professional musician, whereas I’m a content amateur musician. I have the ability to play a lot of songs that I like, and I’m at a certain skill level where I’m pretty satisfied with it, and to really progress would take quite a bit of work that I’m not exactly willing to put in.

Q: What drives you?

A: I think it’s just the pursuit of trying to be at my best, because in this game, you’ve never made it. There’s no one in the history of the game that’s ever completely figured it out. And it’s also a matter of like, you never know what you’re capable of until you’ve exhausted every single possibility of working hard and trying new things and everything. So to me it’s just the process of trying to become the best player I can possibly be. And whatever that is, I don’t know what that’s gonna look like after my career’s done, but it’s the process that drives me.

Q: Biggest obstacle?

A: Probably the Tommy John surgery, just because it was in part a mental grind as much as it was physical, because being out for over a year, you kind of start to question like if you’re gonna be able to play at the same level, or of you’re gonna even physically be able to play, like, “Am I gonna throw just as hard or not?” That was kind of a big hurdle.

Q: Describe the Special Operations Warrior Foundation.

A: They’re a foundation that takes care of the families of either wounded or killed-in-action Special Operations soldiers. They’ll help put the kids through school and like pay for their college and give ’em like a support system. Losing a father or a mother is already just like an incredible hardship, but at least at the very least they allow for them to get through college and just provide another support system for them because of that situation. … It means a lot to me because I’ve always leaned on the Special Operations community when I’m looking to learn more about the mindset of people who are successful and the mindset of those guys where their job is life and death, and what keeps them calm and prepares to do what they need to do. If they can stay calm and be at their best in a situation where one mistake could equal a loss of life, then whatever they’re doing or their mindset is, should easily translate to the field. It’s a very similar mindset. It’s very matter of fact, they know the only way they’re going to accomplish their mission is through repetition, discipline, and teamwork. They can’t think about the possibility of failing. It’s all trusting in the preparation they’ve put in and then executing that.

Q: What was it like getting swept in the 2022 ALCS by the Astros?

A: Every time we don’t accomplish our goal of winning the World Series, it’s just more fuel to the fire. There’s one goal for every single guy here, and it’s the same thing, it’s winning the World Series. If we don’t accomplish that, then we have to learn stone that, and we have to figure out how to be better.

Q: What does it mean to you to be a New York Yankee?

A: It’s a privilege. It’s a privilege to have expectations, and to always be on a team that’s competing every year, and to put on the same uniform as so many Hall of Famers and legends over the years.