Ross Emil “Tex” Erwin

Galveston Daily News
17 October 1910

Mike [Ross Emil “Tex”] Erwin, who has been with the Brooklyn team of the National League during the season now about to close, is a native of Forney, Tex. Mike was born in that Kaufman County town Dec. 22, 1885, and while he has been playing ball six years he is still a youngster in the matter of age.Fans will early remember when Mike Erwin made his first appearance in Dallas in professional baseball. Erwin appeared along toward the last of the season with Fort Worth as a first baseman. He was awkward in the extreme and Ward let him get away. He went to Dublin or some West Texas town and clouted the hall so terribly that he was brought back and used as a catcher. He had previously played some with Galveston, but did not stick there. Erwin made good immediately at Fort Worth. His hitting was enough to hold him a job in most any league, and he rapidly began to develop as a clever catcher. His arm is strong and base runners soon learned that Mike Erwin was a catcher who would not permit them to take liberties on the [illegible].

Erwin was starring with Fort Worth the year Jimmy Steaphens, Ed Spencer and Branch Rickey went to St. Louis, and Erwin then looked to be as good as any of these catchers.During the season of 1905, St. Paul bought Erwin from Fort Worth and he joined the American Association team which later bought Raley, Arbogast, Farris, Myers and [illegible].

His work at Detroit attracted the attention of major league scouts and Detroit drafted him and used him in 1907 with Detroit and the next year was sent to Rochester. In 1908 he was used a great deal as a first baseman at Rochester …[illegible]… and Brooklyn finally secured him in a deal by which Erwin was exchanged for a large money consideration and four or five players.Erwin has done good work with Brooklyn this season. He is of major league stature, weighing [illegible] and being six feet tall. He is a wonderfully …[illegible]… Bergen is the regular catcher for Brooklyn, but Erwin has caught several games and was used alternately with Bergen until he was badly injured about a month ago.

Note: Not sure why they have him as “Mike” but other references show he went by “Tex.” Here is his Wikipedia page:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tex_Erwin