Tommy Watanabe Award
On Aug. 5, 2017, former Wenatchee AppleSox pitcher Tommy Watanabe passed away at his parent’s home in Sacramento.
Watanabe only played in four games with the AppleSox that summer, but his affable persona was experienced by all who met him. He was an energetic young man who dreamed of playing for as long as he could. Tommy brought the type of energy and respect for the game that the AppleSox look for in every player that comes to Wenatchee.
In 2018, the AppleSox introduced the Tommy Watanabe Award to honor their fallen teammate. This award will be given at the end of every AppleSox season to a player who best exhibits Tommy’s spirit and his passion for AppleSox baseball.
The idea for the award came from José Oglesby, who, though only three months into his first year as owner of the AppleSox, was inspired by all that he had heard about Watanabe to create a way for the team to remember him.
“Tommy’s story represents what is pure about baseball and sport,” Oglesby said. “I wanted to recognize the current players that embody the spirit of community at the same time. Putting the two together lets us tie our present with our past.”
Tommy Watanabe personified what it meant to be a member of the Wenatchee AppleSox. In an essay he wrote as a freshman in college, Watanabe stated that he only loved his family and baseball. His love for the game left an impression on everyone that he ran into with the organization and is well known by those who didn’t know him. He is forever a member of the AppleSox and an integral part of the team’s history.
His brief but profound impact will never be forgotten.
2023 Winner: Jake Putnam
Sometimes, your baseball career doesn’t go the way that you planned. Jake Putnam pitched in seven games over four years at Santa Clara from 2000-23 before deciding to transfer to Butler. He experienced success with the AppleSox in 2022, recording a team-high three saves in 12 relief appearances as key late-inning reliever. Putnam’s 2023 return wasn’t the same, as he had a 6.96 ERA in six appearances.
Regardless of how he was performing on the field, Putnam’s positive attitude never changed. He was still the same smiling, long-haired kid who looked thrilled to spend every day at the ballpark. Putnam typically was one of the first players to arrive to the field on gamedays and regularly watered the infield while other teammates would still trickle into the clubhouse.
“Jake is the perfect representation of AppleSox Baseball,” head coach Mitch Darlington said. “He shows up to the field everyday with a smile on his face and ready to do whatever it takes to get a win. Jake is a servant leader. He puts the team and the organization first in all aspects of the game. On and off the field there is nobody who leads by example better than Jake Putnam.”
Putnam is the most similar player to Watanabe to win the award in that he did not have the summer that he wanted and was in a summer of transition as he looked to go to a different school. Regardless of the uncertainty in his playing career, he still chose to make the day better of everyone whom he came into contact with.
2022 Winner: Joichiro Oyama
Whether it was his Mickey Mouse suitcase that he brought on each road trip or the tip of the cap that he gave to every umpire before each plate appearance, Joichiro Oyama made AppleSox fans smile all summer long.
Oyama was an easy choice by his teammates and the AppleSox front office because of the positive energy that he brings to the park each day. He may bring a joyful attitude to the park each day but he also takes the game seriously. Oyama quickly became a fan favorite with his ability to turn a ground ball on the infield into a base hit and his knack for stealing bases.
“You can’t bring up Jo’s name without smiling because he always is,” AppleSox general manager Allie Schank said. “He always is in a good mood whether he had a great day at the plate or an off night by his standards."
Oyama posted one of the greatest seasons in the 22-year history of the Wenatchee AppleSox. The incoming junior at UC Irvine became only the seventh player in team history to play in every regular season game in league play and shattered AppleSox records along the way. Oyama is the new AppleSox’ single-season record-holder for plate appearances (276), runs (54), stolen bases (42) and walks (42) while also tying for the single-season record for triples (6). He also broke the WCL single-season record for runs and stolen bases with his historic 2022 campaign. Oyama was named WCL co-MVP and was the second baseman on the All-WCL First Team.
2021 Winner: Michael O’Hara
(L-R) AppleSox owner jose oglesby, o’hara, general manager allie schank and former head coach ian sanderson
Whether he struck out or hit a home run, Michael O’Hara’s energy was always apparent in 2021. He earned the affection of teammates and fans alike with his affable persona. O’Hara’s love of his teammates was especially apparent when he doused Tino Bethancourt with an ice bath following Bethancourt’s walk-off hit on Aug. 4. Bethancourt and the rest of the AppleSox got O’Hara back two nights later when they stuck a cup to his hat with some gum and O’Hara took the field with it still on!
Michael is not only a fan-favorite for his work on the field. Whether he’s celebrating with a young fan after winning the Wenatchee World Newspaper Delivery Race or trading his bat to a youngster in exchange for his grand slam ball that he hit on Aug. 6, Michael has made fans smile all summer long.
“This summer, there are so many deserving players,” AppleSox general manager Allie Schank said. “Michael stood out to us because of the effect he had on his teammates, his presence with kids at the youth camps and his love of the game.”
O’Hara collected nine multi-hit games and led the AppleSox with five three-hit nights. He hit .252 with a .369 on-base percentage and reached base safely in 28-of-the-35 league games that he played.
2019 Winner: Johnny Sage
(L-R) former Head coach Kyle Krustangel, Sage and owner Jose Oglesby.
Johnny Sage came to the ballpark with a smile on his face every day in his two years with the AppleSox.
He was always willing to give his time to chat with others, be they fans or opposing players. On the field, Sage invigorated the AppleSox whether it was by clubbing a double to right-center or diving for a fly ball in left field.
He also kept things light by imitating the opposing third-base coach and debating baseball skills with teammates. Sage’s head coach Kyle Krustangel affectionately called him ‘Johnny AppleSox’ because of his hustle and performance.
“Johnny is a great example of the type of fine young men that we try to bring to Wenatchee,” AppleSox general manager Ken Osborne said. “We want these ballplayers to be excellent both on-and-off the field and Johnny is a great example of someone who make everyone around him feel great after speaking to him.”
On the field, Sage is equally impressive. In 2019, he led the AppleSox with 11 doubles, 13 stolen bases (tied) and recorded the eighth-best on-base percentage (.429) and the eighth-best batting average (.327) in the West Coast League.
In 2018, Sage tied for the most walks (28), recorded the third-best on-base percentage (.442) and had the seventh-best batting average (.326) in the WCL.
2018 Winner: Jacob Prater
(L-R) former Head coach Kyle Krustangel, Prater and owner Jose Oglesby.
Jacob Prater spent four seasons in an AppleSox uniform and was always looked at as a leader. Prater laced up the red, white and blue as a player in 2015, 2017 and 2018 before becoming a volunteer assistant coach in 2019.
His energy and leadership were apparent every time he took the field. Whether it was playing six different positions or pumping up teammates with celebrations, Prater exemplified AppleSox baseball perfectly.
Watanabe and Prater were good friends in 2017 and after Watanabe died, Prater would occasionally wear Watanabe’s old warm-up shirt underneath his AppleSox jersey. He also constantly joked with teammates and teased them during interviews. It’s impossible to not catch Prater in a good mood when he’s at the ballpark.
Prater showed off who he is as a ballplayer on July 25, 2018. After the AppleSox had blown a 3-0 lead after six innings to lose, 6-3, to the Cowlitz Black Bears, Krustangel had the entire team run sprints along the outfield track.
Before the second game of the series with Cowlitz, Prater said the Sox needed to get going and that it was on the players to make it happen; the AppleSox had now lost nine of their last 14 games.
“We’ve just got to get everyone on board who wants to be here,” Prater said. “The coaches are here to help but at the end of the day it’s really up to the players playing their hardest.”
Prater backed up his words with his bat. That night, he went 3-for-6 with a triple and 2 RBI in a walk-off victory, then walked off the Black Bears himself the next night with an RBI single in the bottom of the ninth. The AppleSox would win 10 of their final 14 games and Prater hit .366 during that stretch.That leadership and performance kept the AppleSox in playoff contention until the final weekend after seemingly not having a prayer in late July.
The utilityman and 2019 Seattle University graduate hit a combined .289 in his AppleSox tenure, including a team-best .359 in 2017.
