Longtime coach and manager of the Yorkton Cardinals Bill Sobkow passed away on Sept. 14.
Sobkow was born and raised in Yorkton, and played the leading role in recreating the Yorkton Cardinals in 2002 - bringing the Western Major Baseball League (WMBL) to Yorkton. He was the head coach and general manager ever since.
The Yorkton Cardinals came out with a statement after his passing, saying “every person in the organization will miss Bill and his love for the game of baseball, the players, fans, and volunteers of the Cards, and the city of Yorkton. Bill will be missed dearly by all Cardinal volunteers and players, both current and former.”
In addition to this statement, former players from the original Cardinals teams had pieces to add to remember their coach and friend.
Jeff Wizniak, a player from the 2002 Cardinals, said:
“He absolutely loved meeting and talking to people. I think he enjoyed just connecting on various levels with his peers and the kids he coached. He’s the kind of guy who you’d call up and you’d talk to all night. He was very smart – he had a ton of life experience and was very relatable. He was so easy to get along with. He showed interest in what you had to say, and he had a ton to say, too. He loved baseball, all facets of it. All the dirty work… fundraising, bingo nights, arranging everything. At every step of the way he enjoyed it because it let him connect with people. That’s what life’s all about. And he loved being at the ballpark. You could tell that.”
Aaron Elmy was a Cardinal from 2002-2006. He said:
“He just had such a positive personality. He always had a smile on his face, and just had a positive attitude. One thing I remember about him, well the game of baseball is unique, and things happen you don’t see very often, good and bad. You just never know what you’re going to get. So when unique parts of the game would happen – sometimes a surprise, sometimes things hard to explain, he would say, ‘that’s baseball.’ He always said it with a smile.”
Elmy also said, “I don’t think people appreciate what he did to improve the game [of baseball] in Yorkton,” explaining how he rebuilt the baseball diamond, which allowed for the growth of baseball in Yorkton and surrounding areas to grow.
Travis Mentanko played on the Cardinals from 2002-2007. He said:
“He was a guy that every day, no matter what the day or situation, he could put a smile on your face and make it fun to be there. He gave a lot of us local guys the chance to play some better baseball and meet some people. He gave me a lot personally. He put a lot of effort into the team. If it wasn’t for him, I don’t think there would be the Yorkton cardinals, and certainly not for this long.”
Finally, Greg Andreychuk, a Cardinal from 2002-2005, and still working with the organization now, said:
“He basically ran the Cardinals. Not only was he the head coach and manager, but he did all the behind the scenes, too. He was a tireless worker for the team. It’s really sad to see him go. It’s a big shock to everyone. With Bill gone, I don’t know how the team is going to function. It’s going to be tough, or almost impossible. He was respected by everyone.”
Each former player commented on Sobkow’s positivity and likeability. And all agreed that he would be greatly missed – not only from baseball, but from the community as well.
