Life slows down in August.
People go on vacation (speaking of which, two more days!), community programs take a break and the local sports scene slows down.
I've never liked the fact that baseball season ends in July for most teams. But hey, parents and senior players have to take a holiday too.
Lacrosse is long gone and the provincial swimming schedule has finished. And the one thing that usually sustains a Mercury scribe at times like this - golf at Woodlawn - will return God knows when.
Some might say it's the best time of year for a newspaper guy: less work to do. Au contraire. We still have a publication to fill.
On top of interviews, writing and snapping photos, we have to spend time scouting out more stories.
It's the time of year when, depending on desperation level, a family softball game might find its way into the paper.
Just kidding maybe.
Why do you think I'm writing my column about the dog days of summer?
The good news is those days are almost over.
There are three race dates at Estevan Motor Speedway in the next two weeks, including Championship Night on Aug. 24.
The Kraft Celebration Tour hits the city the next day, an event that could no doubt fill half a sports section by itself.
Estevan Minor Football will kick off the season with games in Regina on Aug. 20, and all three teams play their home opener a week later.
The Estevan Drag Racing Association has its final race day of the season on Aug. 21, and before you know it the Elecs and Bruins will be underway.
As for my vacation? I'll be watching harness racing, hitting the links and paintballing.
Can't wait.
***
The Toronto Blue Jays are flat out fun to watch right now, and now that they have most of their young core in place, that should only continue.
Just don't get me started on the bullpen.
Too late. I got myself started.
The Jays are third in the bigs with 19 blown saves this year on 43 opportunities.
Take a minute to let that sink in.
Nineteen blown saves.
The Jays were 11.5 games behind the wildcard-holding Yankees as of Monday.
Imagine if they were even in the middle of the pack for blown saves, with five or six fewer ninth-inning screw-ups.
It wouldn't make them a playoff team, but it sure as heck would make it interesting.
Casey Janssen shows promise, and I've had a soft spot for him ever since he did a cartwheel off the mound in 2007. He can stay.
Shawn Camp has been steady over the years, but he's been far from his best this season and he's 35. I wouldn't be sad to see him go.
Trever Miller was a warm body taken back in the Colby Rasmus trade and will almost certainly be gone after the season.
The jury is still out on Jesse Litsch. He may find a spot in the rotation yet.
Frank Francisco was an absolute debacle in the closer role earlier this year. I guess that's fitting since he was acquired for the overpaid, underachieving Vernon Wells.
He's been better since moving to a setup role, but I have no desire to see him in a Jays uniform next year.
Jon Rauch wasn't bad as a setup man, but he's also been horrific as a closer. It's getting to the point where you can turn the TV off if he comes in with anything less than a five-run lead.
Rauch is on a one-year deal, so let's hope Alex Anthopoulos gives him the boot as well.
The good news? Brett Lawrie.
***
If you're wondering why there hasn't been any Rider analysis in this space, there are two good reasons. One, everyone and their dog is already doing more than their share of navel-gazing. Two, my Argos are struggling just as badly with a quarterback who makes Marcus Crandell look like Doug Flutie.
Josh Lewis can be reached by phone at 634-2654, by e-mail at [email protected], on Twitter at twitter.com/joshlewis306 or on his Bruins blog at bruinbanter.blogspot.com. As if interviewing Dan O'Toole and Darren Dutchyshen and meeting Brian Williams wasn't enough for one summer, he also chatted with Jay Onrait yesterday for a story to appear in next week's Mercury.
