Ever Want To Coach The AppleSox? Here's Your Chance

The Wenatchee AppleSox are partnering with former head coach Ed Knaggs and Opening Day Run to offer the opportunity for fans to coach for a game this summer.

The winner will get the chance to join the AppleSox for batting practice before a game and coach first base for an inning. He/she will join AppleSox head coach Mitch Darlington and his assistants Mike Callia and Xander Orejudos to help lead the Sox to victory.

Interested participants will receive an entry for every $50 donation to Only7Seconds, one of the organizations that Opening Day Run will be benefiting. Simply put “Coach For A Day” in the comments with your donation on openingdayrun.com and you will be eligible for the promotion. 

Opening Day Run is an event by Knaggs to help raise awareness for youth mental health. Knaggs will run from Wenatchee, where he coached from 2001-14, to Corvallis, Ore., where he has coached since 2018. Knaggs won six league championships with Wenatchee, including each of the organization’s five West Coast League titles. He has since gone on to help the Knights win each of their last five championships. 

The run will begin on May 1 at 7 a.m. at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium. Knaggs will head to the Apple Capital Recreation Loop Trail up to the Columbia River Bridge over to 9th Street before continuing on the Loop to 3rd Street and then hit Rock Island Road until it runs into Highway 28 to begin his run to Corvallis. NCWLIFE will be broadcasting live at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium from 7-8 a.m.

“For anyone who is a baseball fan, Opening Day is a positive phrase connected with the sport,” Knaggs said. “I think of the parallels with Opening Day and how it is about hope, belief and dreaming. If we could wake up every day and it could be Opening Day, we would feel good. I talk with my teams each year midway through the summer as fatigue sets in. I tell them that if they can come to the ballpark and treat every day like Opening Day, then they will be at their best and can put their struggles behind them.” 

Opening Day Run is spotlighting Only7Seconds and Trillium Family Services, two organizations with connections to both towns. Only7Seconds is a Chelan-based organization whose goal is a world without loneliness. Their programs and resources inspire intentional connections by empowering people and equipping partners. Trillium Family Services is a Corvallis-based organization dedicated to supporting children, adolescents, and their families ages 5-24 years. Personalized support including residential, outpatient, and school-based prevention programs are tailored to address the unique mental health needs of every young person in Trillium’s care.

To donate, please visit openingdayrun.com. Follow Opening Day Run on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for updates on Knaggs’ preparation for the run as well as updates on it once the run begins.