Tex Erwin

Ross Emil "Tex" Erwin (December 22, 1885 – April 5, 1953) was a professional baseball player from 1905 to 1921. He played six years in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the Detroit Tigers (1908), Brooklyn Superbas (1910–14), and Cincinnati Reds (1914).

Early years

Erwin was born in Forney, Texas, in 1885. He began his professional baseball career playing for the Fort Worth Panthers of the Texas League during the 1905 and 1906 seasons. He also played 11 games for the St. Paul Saints in the American Association during the 1906 season. In 1907, he played for the Topeka White Sox in the Western Association.

In late August 1907, Erwin made his major league debut with the Detroit Tigers. He appeared in only eight games for Detroit and did not appear in any of the Tigers' postseason games in the 1907 World Series.

After his brief stint with the Tigers, Erwin returned to the minor leagues, playing for the Rochester Bronchos of the Eastern League in 1908 and 1909.

Brooklyn

In August 1909, Erwin was purchased from Rochester by the Brooklyn Superbas of the National League. He played at the catcher position for Brooklyn from 1910 to 1914. In November 1912, the Sporting Life newspaper published a front-page photo profile of Erwin. The newspaper described him as "the rising young catcher of the Brooklyn National League." The profile indicated that Erwin was married and made his permanent home in Rochester, New York, though his family lived in Galveston, Texas.