By Rodney Haas 

605 Sports 

MITCHELL — As voice of the USD Coyotes football and men’s basketball teams, Joe Van Goor would have a lot of time on his hands during the summer months. 

So much so, Van Goor would team up with Randy Hammer of Classic Hits 106 and play “Name that Tune” where listeners would call in to try and stump Joe.  

“He played a couple of notes and I guessed. It developed into something that was really popular on our stations,” Van Goor said. “People would try to guess against me. I would guess three tunes and the listener has a chance to win a certificate for a meal.”

While playing “Name that Tune” with the morning show filled a void for at least an hour, Van Goor would find a new passion that would consume his summer months — public address announcing.

It’s a passion that has carried him for the past 10 years where Van Goor has been the PA voice for the Vermillion Grey Sox, Crofton (Neb.) Blue Jays and the Elk Point Colt 45s, and the official voice of the state amateur baseball tournament for the past 10 years. 

For his contributions to amateur baseball, Van Goor was honored with the South Dakota Amateur Baseball Association’s “Man of the Year” award. He joins fellow broadcasters Danny Olson and Tom Maxwell and joins a long list of names who have contributed to amateur baseball.  

“I’m deeply appreciative that the South Dakota Amateur Baseball recognizes the work that I’ve done,” Van Goor said. “I know there’s 32 Class B teams and eight Class A teams but it’s a big deal to make the state tournament. It’s a big deal and doing the PA, we’re trying to make it a big deal without making it a big deal. Not really going overboard on anything. There has to be a balance on what happens up here to what happens down there.” 

Navigating that balance has been something Van Goor has mastered over the past 10 years, whether it's the state amateur baseball tournament, the South Dakota High School football championships in Vermillion or the Howard Wood Dakota Relays or the state high school track and field championships. You know it's a big event if Van Goor’s voice is echoing through the stadium.   

“Hopefully what I do, and everyone in the press box does, is help the fans enjoy what’s going on,” he said.

For Van Goor, the road to the PA booth began when he found out the Grey Sox were in town and decided to go to the ballgame. 

“Travis Lee was with the Vermillion Grey Sox and this was 2013. I heard they were playing in town and decided to go to the game,” Van Goor said. “I get there and he goes ‘Joe what are you doing?’ Well I just came to watch you play. ‘Well do you mind doing PA?’ Yeah I’ll give it a try and that’s where it started.” 

Soon, Van Goor found himself in high demand as he got calls from both Crofton and Elk Point amateur teams to do their PA before getting the call from Jim “Jocko” Johnston, tournament director for the state amateur baseball tournament when it’s held in Mitchell. 

“It’s all about the game, but it’s all about the experience,” Van Goor said. “I think fans, they not only want to be entertained with the game, but they also want to be entertained with what goes on around it. It’s kind of like a major league ballpark. All the things that they do, to make the experience better.” 

Van Goor added when he first started doing the PA at the state amateur tournament, the first thing Jocko told him was “Don’t do play-by-play.”

“I’ve been to so many places around the state no matter if it’s football, basketball or baseball. They do play-by-play,” Van Goor said. “I can see it in track because obviously you have that information in front of you and that helps the fan. I’ve been to many places on the radio and the PA guy is trying to outdo you.”

This year marks the 30th anniversary of Van Goor’s first state amateur baseball tournament in Sioux Falls. In between that time, Van Goor has called countless VFW teener, legion and amateur games of the South Central and State Line leagues. 

“You see the joy that guys have playing and they will play for as long as they can,” Van Goor said of what makes amateur baseball special. “They will play hurt, they play healthy. It’s guys getting together and having fun for the love of the game. That’s what I’ve always liked. I haven’t been doing PA all that long but it’s really led me to what I’m doing today. I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”