Does anyone know how the term “Texas Leaguer” came about? I thought I was actually pretty knowledgable about baseball, but recently someone asked me about this and I realized I was stumped.
I don’t have the Dickson baseball dictionary with me, but I believe “Texas Leaguer” which is synonymous with a weak pop fly to the outfield is supposed to symbolize the ability of a minor league hitter to hit a ball that far.
A major leaguer would hit the ball over the fence, but a Texas Leaguer is too weak.
While I’m thinking about it, BobT, how about a “can of corn.”
Parks in the old Texas League, once an independent minor league, tended to have immensely large outfields, partially because the ball flies so well in Texas you need the fences set well back, and partially because there’s just a lot of room in Texas.
Having more room to cover, outfielders would play deeper in TL ballparks than normal to cut off more liners, choosing to give up more short bloop singles in favour of preventing the triples and inside-the-park home runs that the huge ballparks would give up. The very frequent bloop singles spawned the term “Texas leaguer.”
Or so they say. 
As to Texas Leaguer, earliest cite I can give is 1906 Cin. Inquirer “Many fans are unaware that the expression ‘Texas leaguer’ originated in Houston.” I know this doesn’t answer the question.