Emotions aside, Durbin thrives

CLEVELAND -- Imagine that you're a starting pitcher for a Major League Baseball team.
You're a young right-hander; you're vibrant, wealthy and on top of the world.
You make nearly 50 starts in a big-league uniform, most of which come in a two-year window for the Kansas City Royals.
But soon thereafter, you begin to feel pain in your pitching elbow. Your production declines, your confidence sinks and your earned-run average skies to double figures.
You begin to face the reality of every pitcher's nightmare -- surgery.
Scrapping his way back
At this time last year, Chad Durbin was preparing to pitch in Class A short-season baseball with the Mahoning Valley Scrappers.
He underwent elbow surgery in September 2002, was released by the Royals and claimed by the Indians early last year.
From there, Durbin began a grueling rehabilitation process that ended in Cleveland. Now, he's a regular in the Indians bullpen, back in the big leagues after a career-testing experience.
How emotional was his journey?
"That's what my mom and everybody else asked me," said Durbin, 26. "Until I sat down at the end of the year and relaxed, and didn't have to fight anymore for a couple months, that's when I realized it was a pretty good feat."
When some would thrive on emotions in such a trying experience, Durbin simply shut his off.
"It was just a matter of doing what I was told to do and getting back to where I needed to be," he said.
Starting over
That meant pitching at the lowest level of professional baseball. Durbin made two starts with the Scrappers last season, including their season opener in June at Batavia.
"I was eight months out of surgery, so I was just throwing the ball up there; hitters will let you know whether you're healthy or not," Durbin said. "At that point, I was just trying to throw strikes and get a feel for things again."
In the process, Durbin rediscovered his passion for the game.
"Meeting those guys was actually more important than playing with them at that time," Durbin said of the young draft picks. "They still have that fresh feel for baseball, and it gets the blood going again."
Durbin was 1-1 with a 2.25 ERA with the Scrappers before the Indians promoted him to Double-A Akron and Triple-A Buffalo.
"Once I got to Double and Triple A, that put things in perspective -- that I can still pitch, I can still get guys out," Durbin said. "I just let it build from there."
Durbin made his Indians debut -- and his return to the big leagues -- on Sept. 2 at Detroit. He had been 17 months removed from his last major league game.
"I was out in the 'pen, which I wasn't quite used to," Durbin said, recalling the experience. "It was a nice feeling, but the emotions were almost turned off because I'd fought so hard; I wasn't going to give up when I finally made it to my goal."
Durbin made three appearances for the Indians last season, including one start. He was 0-1 with a 7.27 ERA.
Finding his role
After losing a duel with Jason Stanford in spring training to become the Tribe's fifth starter, Durbin returned to the bullpen, where he's 1-1 with an 8.44 ERA this season.
"In the 'pen, you do your routine to get yourself ready for the beginning of the game, and then the phone rings," Durbin said. "It's like a pause; everything pauses, and everybody looks at the phone."
It could be for Jose Jimenez, Jack Cressend or Rafael Betancourt. It could be for Jake Westbrook, Scott Stewart or David Riske.
Or it could be for Chad Durbin, who, in a special way, has already answered his call.
XBrian Richesson is a sportswriter for The Vindicator. Write to him at richesson@vindy.com.