Tex Erwin

Ross Emil Erwin

• Bats Left, Throws Right
• Height 6' 0", Weight 185 lb.

• Debut August 26, 1907
• Final Game July 29, 1914
• Born December 22, 1885 in Forney, TX USA
• Died April 5, 1953 in Rochester, NY USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Catcher Tex Erwin played six seasons in the majors, mostly for the Brooklyn Dodgers. In his best year (and his year with the most major league at-bats), 1911 he posted an OPS+ of 131, and he also hit well in very limited action (46 at-bats) in 1914.

Erwin was born in Forney, TX, east of Dallas, TX. He began his minor league career playing for the Fort Worth Panthers in 1905, and while he had a cup of coffee with the Detroit Tigers in 1907, he played primarily in the minors through 1909. With the Tigers, he was a year older than teammate Ty Cobb.

The Brooklyn team used him as a back-up for catcher Bill Bergen in 1910 and 1911. Bergen at the time was in his last two major league seasons, and when he was done, Otto Miller became the Brooklyn catcher in 1912, while Tex remained a back-up.

Erwin split his time in 1913 and 1914 between the majors and the minors.

Four of his minor league seasons were spent with the Rochester Red Wings, and when he died in 1953, it was in Rochester, NY.

Here is a photo from 1913 of Tex Erwin in uniform, with a catcher's glove of the time, appearing as if he has just thrown a baseball.