after playing a few years in minor league baseball, durbin retired as a baseball player. just 1 day after his 57th birthday on september 11, 1943, durbin died in kirkwood, missouri. durbin's burial is located at saint peters cemetery in kirkwood at st. louis county in missouri. durbin was memorialized as the protagonist in the historical novel "the best team ever" (2008) by alan alop and doc noel ().