Dale Yoos – Athlete
Dale Yoos, born in Hoosier in 1902, was playing senior baseball at the age of 16, and became a skilled player at several positions.
While attending the University of Saskatchewan in 1923 he was a member of the Varsity Soccer Team.
Moving to Birch Hills in 1926, he played with that community’s team when senior baseball was a very big sport. Other clubs in the Carrot River Valley League of the time included Prince Albert, Kinistino and Melfort. An example of his skill is shown in a 1926 Prince Albert Daily Herald report: “Dale could play any and every position, displaying excellent finish and wisdom … a snappy, battling player who resembled Johnny Evers of the Chicago Cubs.” In 1927 while at a Northern Saskatchewan Tournament in Melfort with more than a dozen teams, he received a silver plaque as “The Most Useful Player”. Moving with his family to Prince Albert in 1938, Yoos became a member of the Bohemian Baseball Club and later managed the team with great success.
Yoos was proficient in many sports, especially golf and curling. An outstanding curler, Yoos was a member of the first Prince Albert rink to win the Grand Challenge Cup at the Saskatoon Bonspiel. He served as President of the Prince Albert Curling Club, then was president of the Saskatchewan Curling Association and was on the Provincial Executive for 10 years. He was made a Life Member of the Saskatchewan Curling Association.
In 1938, Yoos became the first sports announcer on CKBI Radio. While announcing the now famous car bonspiels from Nipawin in 1947, Yoos invented the “clock‑face system” to describe the position of rocks in the house. It is still used by broadcasters nationwide. In 1940, he was inducted onto the honour roll of famous local curlers.
His civic involvements went beyond sports with Yoo serving two terms as a city alderman. While the exalted ruler of the Prince Albert Elks Lodge, Yoos spearheaded the building of the first senior citizen’s home in Prince Albert.
Inducted into the Prince Albert Sports Hall of Fame in 1991.
