Son Also Shines: Parkview Baptist’s Cade Durbin Follows in the Footsteps of 14-Year MLB Veteran Father Chad
by William Weathers // GeauxPreps.com Contributor
Twenty-seven years ago, it was the hallmark of Chad Durbin’s pitching career, a 16-strikeout performance in eight innings for the Kansas City Royals’ High-A minor league team Wilmington (DE.) Blue Rocks.
Durbin, a Woodlawn High graduate and third-round draft choice of the Royals three years earlier, went on to become a vital member out of the bullpen on the Philadelphia Phillies’ 2008 World Series team. But he often found himself drifting back to that earlier performance in 1998, a story he would go on to share with his oldest son Cade during his own pitching career.
“That’s my best game,” said the 47-year-old Durbin. “The one I visualized even until the end of my career. Just the level of the zone I was in.”
With Parkview Baptist, the top-seeded team on the Division III select side, in a close-out situation in last Friday’s state regional series with De La Salle, it was Cade’s opportunity in the rotation to help the Eagles advance and he did so in a big way.
Parkview’s offense did its part, scoring seven runs, and the younger Durbin rose to a new level with a complete-game shutout performance. He allowed two hits, no walks, and struck out a career-high 16 – in seven innings – that enabled him to have rare bragging rights over his father who spent 14 years in the Major Leagues.
“He gave me my props, I had officially beaten him,” Cade said of a conversation with his dad. “That was the first I had beat him stats-wise. He said it was really fun to watch. It was his way of being proud of me. When I hear how many people texted him or reached out and said what Cade did was insane, that’s the recognition I’ve enjoyed. I don’t need it, but it does feel good because of how far I’ve flown under the radar.”
Parkview Baptist features one of the state’s most complete pitching staffs – regardless of classification – and it’s that strength of starting pitchers Sam Mitchell, Durbin, and Logan Sorrel that have played a major role in the Eagles reaching the quarterfinal round.
Parkview (33-6) hosts No. 8 Dunham (18-18) in a best-of-three series beginning at 6 p.m. Thursday.
Fourth-year coach Phillip Hawke describes his embarrassment of riches on the mound as a collection of three ace pitchers – 1A, 1B, and 1C – where, based on rotation, would feature Mitchell on Thursday, the right-handed Durbin in Friday’s second game and Sorrel in Saturday’s Gm. 3 if necessary.
“They’re two unique arms that have had successful careers here and have super high ceilings on what they can do in the future,” Hawke said of Mitchell and Durbin.
Hawke said he’s never seen the 6-foot-1, 158-pound Durbin look better than in last Friday’s outing.
“That was the best I’ve seen him, just having the stuff all working,” he said. “He had the ability to go out and in. There were no wasted pitches. Balls were in places he could use the next pitch to pitch off of. He’s peaking at the right time.”
Going into the third inning of the game Durbin noticed that he was up to five strikeouts, a running total that’s kept on an adjacent fence for that game’s starting pitcher. After trying to reign in his curveball for three innings, he finally began to throw it for strikes in the fourth and settled into a groove to go with his fastball, change-up, and slider.
“Everything was working,” he said. “My mechanics were easy. The adrenaline was there, and I was in the zone. I had no idea I had that many strikeouts until I went out for the seventh and saw 13. My mind went blank, and I went back out and got the next three. I was trying to find outs. When I’m pitching, I’m only looking at the (catcher’s) mitt.”
“I’ve spoken to him about that game,” Chad Durbin said. “He knows that number.”
Chad Durbin is a midwestern transplant from Indiana whose family moved to Baton Rouge when he was 12. He was an outstanding athlete who attended Woodlawn High where he played basketball for Kenny Almond and baseball for both Dary Glueck and Danny Suire.
He was a 158-pound senior with an aggressive approach on the mound and it was his control and velocity that earned him a scholarship to LSU where he committed to legendary head coach Skip Bertman.
While he cheered for the Tigers, Durbin was an even bigger fan of Chicago Cubs’ second baseman Ryne Sandberg with a bigger eye on the Major Leagues. He was drafted as a two-way player (he was also a standout shortstop) by the Kansas City Royals in the third round in 1996 and debuted three years later as a relief pitcher Sept. 26, 1999.
“I loved watching Todd Walker and Russ Johnson, but the real goal was to play elsewhere,” he said.
Durbin spent the next decade-plus of his life playing professional baseball. There was the more glamorous side with 14 years in the majors with Kansas City, Cleveland, Detroit, Arizona, Philadelphia (twice), and Atlanta. He also endured the less glitzy side of long bus trips and antiquated and half-filled stadiums in the minors.
Durbin, who retired on Nov. 25, 2013, was at his zenith during the Phillies’ ’08 World Series championship season. He was the winning pitcher in Game 3 of the National League’s divisional series and Gm. 5 of the National League championship series.
Durbin led the National League with 30 of his 71 relief appearances coming in the eighth inning or later and wound with a 2.87 earned run average.
“I’m proud of him,” Cade said of his dad who also pitched for the Phillies in the 2009 World Series against the New York Yankees. “I wish I would have been old enough to remember (his career). I’ll go back and watch videos of him pitching in big moments. I go into his office every now and then and he has old lineup cards with stats on them. He’ll tell me stories of Justin Verlander holding me when I was a baby and just being around guys.”
Durbin remained active in baseball, filling in on Philadelphia’s radio broadcast team for two years, and is still a consultant for the union of the Major League Baseball Players Association.
Closer to home, though, Durbin has been an invaluable resource and combined his talents, expertise, and experience with Catholic High pitching coach Tyler Naquin at Performance Pitching Academy.
“Everything revolves around the game in one way or another,” he said. “You get to mentor kids and walk them through different stages of their lives.”
Cade picked up more than a baseball during his youth, also excelling like his father at basketball, and at one point believed he could apply himself in both sports.
“I had an amazing time playing basketball and I wanted to play that and stop playing baseball in eighth grade,” Cade said.
Chad had even resigned himself to sitting in a gym where once starred in high school, watching his son’s basketball career unfold. Cade shot for hours at the family’s home and his movement on a court unveiled the potential for him to thrive in the sport until faced with the stipulation of having to choose baseball over basketball.
He balked at the notion.
“He didn’t want to give up baseball,” Chad said. “He chose not to (play basketball).”
Chad wanted a fun-filled environment for his son and when Cade played between the ages of 9-11, he wanted his son to play with other kids from his school and then afterward relax at Walk-Ons Sports.
Cade was inquisitive about baseball and even with such a great resource as his father, sought out differing opinions on different elements of the game.
“When I played under somebody else, it was different,” he said. “He would still get on me to watch baseball a lot. To study it, read books.”
Chad welcomed additional instruction from those he trusted in the game. He said when Colin Rodgers and Russell Reynolds, both of whom were standout pitchers at Parkview, offered to work with his son, Cade agreed.
“I leave him alone at this point because he won’t listen to me,” he said. “He’ll listen at times, but he’s a smart kid that wants to make his own path. Tyler Naquin has helped, and Cade has thrived with the way he asks questions. He’s got a pretty good head on his shoulders and a low heart rate on the field.”
The COVID pandemic reduced Cade to shooting baskets outside at home and potentially altering his career path to becoming a content creator on YouTube.
“I was playing video games every day, playing Fortnite,” he said. “That’s who I became.”
Cade also hit a growth spurt during that span, shooting up 6 to 7 inches, and a year after playing for the Voodoo, coached by his dad, began to capture the attention of college coaches on the travel ball circuit.
Durbin joined the Knights Nation’s 13U team, coached by former LSU players Jared Poche and Kade Scivicque, beginning an association with one of the region’s top travel ball programs. His development had become apparent, not necessarily a big jump in velocity, but in his mound presence, smoother delivery, and movement on his pitches.
“I had other guys tell me Cade was throwing the ball really well,” Chad said. “It looked like he was playing catch, and the ball was just exploding out of his hand. I told them it didn’t look like six months ago. He had always thrown strikes.”
The Knights Nation program is a proving ground of sorts for aspiring players and Durbin was no different. During last summer’s time with the 17U club where they were 33-3 record and finished fourth nationally, he was part of a talented roster that included Lutcher’s Marshall Louque, an LSU signee, Noah Lewis of Catholic and Josh Lim of Dunham, both of whom are UL-Lafayette signees.
“I loved the competition,” said Cade, who has typically played one year above his age. “I’ve never been worried about throwing to guys older than me. If they do well, they’re supposed to. If I do well, great. It’s something I’ve always grown up with.”
Durbin took on a greater role for Parkview Baptist when he both started and relieved as a sophomore. He was 7-1 with three saves with a 0.78 ERA, registering 57 strikeouts with 11 walks in 44.2 innings.
He became a part of the team’s starting rotation, with a 7-1 record and one save, 1.30 ERA 49 strikeouts, and eight walks in 37.2 innings.
“He’s still growing,” said Hawke, who also starred at Woodlawn and has been a long-time friend of Chad. “He’s really a junior’s age and graduates a year earlier than most of his peers. The weight is coming. Will he be as big and physical as his dad, we’ll have to wait and see. The way he generates with what he can the way he does now, that’s what they (college coaches and scouts) are excited about what he could be with another 20-30 pounds.
“Seeing him for the first time as a freshman, you could tell right away he was going to be a star of his own making,” Hawke said. “The ability was there. For us, it was a matter of the things that helped a young player become a mature player. We didn’t hand him that varsity jersey. We made him earn it and he did earn it about halfway through his freshman year. There’s been a natural progression for him. It’s been fun to watch with a kid who’s easy to root for. He’s a great kid.”
Any comparisons to his dad were settled by his grandmother, Deb Pearson, a regular at Cade’s games.
Although still somewhat slight of build in contrast to his dad, Pearson said her grandson’s four-pitch mix and ability to hold runners on elevates him into another class.
“I did it for fun when I asked my mom to compare us,” Chad said. “She said he’s way more polished and that I came in and threw the ball as hard as I could and competed really well. She said he’s throwing four pitches for strikes and had a dad that played.
“He does inside moves (pickoff attempts to second base). He’s just advanced,” Chad said. “All the things you’re going to try to teach when they get to 17-21. He’s kind of ahead of it. He’s an intelligent kid.”
Cade decided in advance of his senior season he found the college of his choice. He did so without anyone’s help or guidance, simply trusting his own instincts to make the biggest decision of his life.
Ragin’ Cajuns pitching Gunner Leger was among a bevy of college assistants at summer events wanting to get an eye on Cade Durbin, showing up regularly at such places as Perfect Game events in Emerson. Ga.
Leger, who later spoke with Chad before a tournament, was on hand with not only college coaches but Major League scouts who wanted to check on Cade’s development.
“It’s nerve-racking,” Chad said. “I thought I may need a drink in my hand, but he went on and did well. A lot of coaches were interested. I knew I could take over and do the baseball stuff for him, but he wouldn’t love the game.
“We haven’t held his hand,” Chad said. “We allowed struggle to happen. He was never the kid on the top team until this last year. He’s clawed and scratched and performed well enough to kind of get the promotion. It’s been earned.”
Cade felt comfortable with Leger, a former standout with the Cajuns, and head coach Matt Deggs and extended his commitment in April. Five months later he and Mitchell both joined the Cajuns’ signing class.
“On August 1 of my junior year, UL text me at midnight,” Cade said of the first day prospective athletes could receive scholarship offers. “I was awake but didn’t answer. I was 16 and getting older and I had to figure it out. It felt like it was a good decision after having been around the coaches, and being around the (returning) guys, and knowing some of the ones coming in. I felt I was going into a real good coaching organization and our family situation being only an hour away.”
Chad challenged his son to continue to work hard to maintain his scholarship offer. Cade’s summer with the Knights was an example of what he was capable of and a reason an array of colleges were in pursuit until the Ragin’ Cajuns secured his pledge.
Because his dad was fortunate to have played on the big league level without a college pitching background, that didn’t mean Cade wouldn’t use his dad as a resource whether to attend college or go straight into professional baseball.
Chad provides a wealth of knowledge on the subject. He asked Cade if there was a dollar amount to replace the entire college experience similar to the route former Catholic High pitching standout William Schmidt found in bypassing a potential high-round selection to attend LSU.
Chad broke it down even further. He said a study showed that 14% of the top four right-handed pitchers out of high school made it to the majors, while the same number choosing to go to college had a 44% success rate of reaching MLB.
“If Skip (Bertman) had put those numbers in front of me, he wouldn’t have had to speak another breath,” Chad said. “I didn’t necessarily want to be a Tiger; I wanted to be a big leaguer. I’ve been asked if I’ve regretted it. I would have liked to have seen what it would have been like, but by the time I would have been a junior (in college) I was in the big leagues. I lucked out and made the right decision.”
Five years ago, Chad drove his son to school at Parkview Baptist and instead of silence filling the air, 12-year-old Cade spoke loudly. He asked his father for space, essentially taking off the guard rails in a relationship where Chad didn’t want his son to get hurt.
It’s in every father’s DNA to provide a barrier, to throw up protective netting if trouble is imminent to make for a soft landing.
“He said, just let me figure it out,” Chad recalled. “If you’ll just leave me alone for 30 seconds, I will figure it out instead of coaching me right away every time something happens. I didn’t feel like I was doing that all the time. I dropped him off, told him I loved him and to have a great day.”
Chad immediately called his wife Crystal and shared the contents of the conversation he just had with their son. She sided with Cade, asking her husband to provide the necessary room Cade wanted.
“Because of that conversation at 12, I backed off,” he said. “That he had the gumption to do it was surprising. He’ll still walk in the house and say he doesn’t want to talk about something. Or he’ll ask, ‘What did you see, how can I get better?’
“The alpha in me wanted to fight him on it because that’s the former player in me saying, ‘I’ll know more than you’ll ever know,’” he said. “But that wasn’t going to be what was going to get the results out of him. I think he really started to enjoy the game the moment I backed off.”
Cade’s always respected his father’s opinion and guidance while seeking his own independence. While some of his pitching outings resulted in a difference in room temperature at home later that same evening, Cade has never wavered in his respect and love for his parents.
One of the constants in their journey has been for father and son to play catch in the backyard, even experimenting with a new grip, or tinkering with mechanics, in a stress-free environment.
Just an afternoon of bonding for father and son, or in this case sons where Cavan is a seventh grader at Parkview Baptist and the latest pitcher in the Durbin rotation.
“Those moments benefited me more,” Cade said. “To do that with him at the level he played at, I’m blessed. Some people have to call or text him. They don’t have the same luxury I do.”
It’s been five months since Cade officially signed to become a Ragin’ Cajun, sharing a ceremony with Mitchell and other athletes at Parkview Baptist in December.
The day represented a milestone of accomplishment and was Durbin’s big day in the sun. He’s already talked to such players as Schmidt who turned down significant money to attend LSU and take advantage of the college experience and be part of a team with a common goal of winning.
Cade prefers to be around like-minded people in a family setting and feels he’ll get that by attending college instead of making a quantum leap into the minor leagues filled with uncertainty.
“I don’t think there’s enough money for me to go straight there,” he said of pro ball. “The college experience is one you’ll miss, and the competition is almost like minor league ball. You get to be around guys you’ve already made a connection with in a real good atmosphere. You’re able to build with them and you’re not on your own. I would be way too young, and God knows how far I’d go and have to figure it all out at a young age on my own.”
Signing Day was equally gratifying for Chad Durbin and his wife, watching their son take another step in his life toward adulthood. Cade received his share of praise for his ability as a baseball player, but it didn’t overshadow the compliments he received as a person.
“It wasn’t about that he pitches well,” Cade said. “It was about the character of the young man and that’s what I took away from that day. So many people had great things to say about who he was, and what he was, and that was the big takeaway. The character of my son outshined the Ragin’ Cajun flag hanging there.”
Parkview Baptist’s pitching gives the Eagles a distinct advantage and Durbin, owner of a fastball that tops out at 90-91 miles per hour, has played a big part in the staff’s success.
He’s undefeated with a 6-0 record and a save and maintained a sub-1.00 ERA (0.95), to go with 78 strikeouts and eight walks in 44.1 innings – pushing his career marks to 20-2, 5 saves, 184 strikeouts (10.2 per 7 innings) with 27 walks over 126.2 innings.
“I really want to be better than my dad,” Cade said. “His career was phenomenal to play that long in the majors. I’ve had the goal that I’m going to play longer and I’m going to be better.”
Chad’s simply appreciative of the role baseball continues to play in the life he’s shared with his son.
“He’s got a chance to be pretty good,” he said. “If he never pitches in college, if he never gets a chance to put a cleat on a pro field, it’s been so much fun. That’s been the shared vehicle we’ve used to spend a lot of time together.”