Getting to Know... Chris Durbin
4/29/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 29, 2003
After starting for nearly four years, senior centerfielder Chris Durbin has written his name into the Baylor recordbook in nearly every offensive category. Durbin sat down with Baylor Athletic Marketing representative Cori Martin recently for a short Q&A session.
Favorite song to hear before the game?
"This year it's been 'I Can Only Imagine' by Mercy Me. I don't like to listen to a lot of heavy metal to get pumped up. I like to listen to more relaxing music to clear my mind. I like to listen to Sarah McLachlan also."
What makes you laugh?
"Ross Bennett always makes me laugh. He can always make my day."
Are you a superstitious person?
"Last year I would eat Popeye's chicken before every game. But I don't consider myself a superstitious person."
What is in your CD player right now?
"A mixed tape with Christian rock, Tori Amos, Sarah MacLaughin, Keith Urban and Alabama."
What is the best thing about Baylor baseball?
"This year we have really good team chemistry. We really bonded in the fall, more so than any Baylor team I have been on. This team has a lot of quality people. Also, our captains this year are a lot more laid back and open to the whole team aspect; everyone works together. We don't separate ourselves from each other. The seniors and the freshmen have equal input. The personality of the players this year is phenomenal."
Why did you choose Baylor over other schools that recruited you?
"My senior year, Baylor had really started to build its baseball program. They had good coaches and a respected program. That's why I wanted to come to Baylor over Texas."
What one person would you most like to meet?
"Barry Bonds, just to see what he thinks all the time. I would like to see how he handles the pressure of people talking about him all the time. I like him because he talks the talk AND walks the walk."
What is the best advice you have ever been given?
"Last year when I was struggling, Matt Williams and Tim Hartshorn (teammates last year) gave me a lot of insight on life. They helped me realize that you can't control anything in this life, only the choices you make. You just have to go with the flow with whatever life is giving you."
Your mind has to wander while you're in the outfield. What is the craziest thing you have ever caught yourself thinking about?
"I think about some random stuff out there. I think about want I want to do after the game. You'd also be surprised how much I can see going on in the stands. I can find anybody. I can tell when my parents and my girlfriend get there. You have a lot of time out there to think about things."
What is your most prized possession?
"My Big 12 Championship ring and my Cape Cod Championship ring. Not many people can say they have both."
How do you handle criticism?
"I think I handle it well. I do get defensive though. I'm probably harder on myself than anyone else is on me."
When are you at your happiest?
"When I don't have anything to worry about. When everything is going well in my life and I'm at peace. Right now, I'm just having fun and not putting a lot of pressure on myself."
Apart from baseball, what do you think separates Baylor from other universities?
"I think it is the quality of people, their attitudes and ways of thinking. I really like the teachers here because most are good Christian people. They are willing to help you out if you are struggling. If you are down, there is always someone to go to and talk, from coaches to a chaplain. It feels a lot like a family. Melanie Smith (CHAMPS Life Skills Coordinator-Academic Advisor) is like a second mom to me. It is nice to have people like that around when you are away from your family."
Nobody knows how much I like to _________________.
"Just get away from it all and relax. I love to go the park on a pretty day and sit and think. I haven't been able to go and be a kid again. I would love to just go fly a kite or feed ducks."
