In 1897 Wagner batted .375 for the Paterson team in the Atlantic League. A versatile, strongly built physical specimen, mention was always made of his bowed legs. The Colonels took a chance on him. At the time Paterson was reported to have received $4,000 from Louisville for Wagner.
Wagner made his major league debut on 19 July 1897 at home; the visiting nine was from Washington. Here is the game write-up.
“The cherry pie at Louisville was not to the Senators’ liking, and so they refused to cut it, the Colonels coming back at the visitors good and hard, having easy picking themselves, the score being 6 to 2 in the Colonels’ flavor. Chick Fraser was in the box for the Louisville’s and held the Senators down to six hits. This twirler has frequently been solved very easily by the Washington club, but he was in good form and kept the hits from being made when they would have driven runs over the plate. James McJames was on the rubber for the Senators and was hit for six safeties in the first two innings, but two more being registered off of his delivery in the last seven. Jimmy’s good work came too late to help the Washington’s, as five nice and juicy runs had been driven over the plate in the two innings that the doctor was kiting. Both clubs played good ball, but one error being made by the Senators and not a single misplay being chalked against the Colonels. In the first inning Fred Clarke singled and Tom McCreery followed suit. Honus Wagner sacrificed the runners up a base, and General Stafford‘s beauty to left drove them over the plate. Jim then stole second and went to third on Perry Werden‘s hit, and then came home when Bill Wilson drove a fly into Zeke Wrigley‘s hands in deep right. Werden came home on Joe Dolan‘s single. In the second inning one more run came the Colonels’ way. Clarke hit to center for two bases and stole third. Wagner went to first on balls and started to steal second. Jim McGuire feinted to throw to second and then turns and threw to Charlie Reilly; the latter dropped the ball and allowing Clarke to score. In the eighth, the Colonels secured their sixth and last run on McCreery’s base on balls, a steal and a safe hit by the following batter. The Senators’ first run came in the eighth. Reilly singled to center and went to third on two wild pitches and a third wild pitch sent him home. In the ninth their last run came over the plate. Al Selbach went to first on balls, second on Wrigley’s out, and home on Reilly’s single. Time 1:50. Umpire Wolf. Line-up, Tom Brown-Cf, Al Selbach-Lf, Zeke Wrigley-Rf, Gene DeMontreville-SS, Jim McGuire-C, Tommy Tucker-1b, Charlie Reilly-3b, John O’Brien-2b, James McJames-P.
The newspaper adds, Honus Wagner, the ex-Paterson Atlantic League player, joined the Louisville’s and, although an infielder, was assigned to guard the center garden and did well, taking care of everything that came his way.
