Wagner grew up in the East Riverton area, and attended Riverside High School before transferring to Palmyra High School, where he played both baseball and basketball before graduating in 1934. He attended Duke University where he played baseball under former major leaguer Jack Coombs. He played center field during his first season at Duke, before converting to catcher. After hitting .380 in 1937, his junior year at Duke, he signed with the Athletics organization.\n', '

Wagner then played for three different minor league teams – in 1937 he was with the Portsmouth Cubs of the Class B Piedmont League, in 1938 the Spartanburg Spartans of the Class B South Atlantic League, and in 1939 the Newark Bears of the Class AA International League. He appeared in a total of 153 games for those teams, batting .299 (137-for-458) while hitting 4 home runs. He also made 39 appearances for the Athletics during these seasons.\n', '

Wagner\'s MLB debut came on the final day of the 1937 season – during the second game of a doubleheader against the Washington Senators, Wagner caught the top of the 5th inning. He recorded one putout, the second out of a double play on a throw home from right field. But he did not have a plate appearance, as the game was called due to rain after the bottom of the 5th inning.\n', '

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