Texas leaguer (1892)

[Benjamin Zimmer]

The Dallas Morning News archive doesn't shine any light on "Texas
leaguer", which appears to have been used mainly by non-Texans to belittle
Texas League players brought up to the majors. Of the various competing
theories for the term's origin, one relates to Ollie Pickering's bloop
hits in his Texas League debut c. 1888, while another relates to Texas
Leaguer Arthur Sunday's debut with Toledo in 1889. The dates of use below
would support either theory (but not one linked to Pickering's
major-league debut in 1896). Note, however, that "Texas League" was used
attributively to refer to weak *pitching* as early as 1893, so it might
have originated as a more general slur (ironym?).


* Texas leaguer (Dickson 1903, MWCD11 1903, OED2 1905)

1892 _Los Angeles Times_ 16 Dec. 9/1 Then Peter Nabb came to the fore with
one of his little three-baggers, a regular Texas Leaguer, which landed
fair just beyond first and then bounded and rolled away in under the
bleachers.

[Many additional cites in the _L.A. Times_ beginning May 1893]


* Texas league, attrib. = characterized by weak (but lucky) hitting or
pitching

1893 _Boston Globe_ 1 May 5/1 Wretched weather, miserable fielding by the
Browns and pitching of a Texas league type summarize today's game.

1895 _Atlanta Constitution_ 27 July 9/1 Callahan pitched good ball but at
times his support was off color and several Texas League hits ran the
score up in the sixth inning to five runs.

1895 _Atlanta Constitution_ 31 July 4/2 Dan McFarland won his third game
from New Orleans today by an error of Stafford's in the first inning and
several very Texas League hits which followed.


--Ben Zimmer