JUST A GAL FROM GLIDDEN: Hits, kicks and small-town connections
By Kate Winquist
How about those Toronto Blue Jays?
My son’s been proudly rocking his 2015 Edwin Encarnacion T-shirt and Jays cap, and honestly, it’s been a fun ride. The team’s playing some exciting baseball, and for once, the country feels united behind them — even if a few Americans at Yankee Stadium weren’t exactly feeling the love during O Canada.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. didn’t have the flashiest season by some standards, but boy, did he ever show up against the Yankees. The Jays play like a team — win as a team, lose as a team — and that’s what makes them so easy to cheer for. Meanwhile, poor Aaron Judge could use a few more friends in pinstripes if he ever hopes to snag that World Series ring.
Now the Jays move on to face the Seattle Mariners, who edged out the Detroit Tigers on Friday night in a 15-inning defensive gem. Seattle’s never won a World Series, and they’ve got slugger Cal Raleigh — a.k.a. The Big Dumper — leading the charge. It should be an interesting matchup, but I’m still calling Jays in six.
Switching gears to football — the Saskatchewan Roughriders have clinched first place in the West Division and home-field advantage after their 27-19 win over the Toronto Argonauts on Friday. They stormed out of the gate early this season but have looked… well, a little less stormy lately. Injuries have piled up, especially on defence — and as we all know, defence wins championships. Still, if they can get healthy, I wouldn’t count them out of hoisting the Grey Cup in late November.
And while we’re at it, can we talk about the kicking game? It’s been, shall we say, character-building. I like Brett Lauther, but even he’d probably like to forget this season. Kicking under 70 per cent just won’t cut it — not in this league, not in any league. But to his credit, Lauther bounced back in a big way Friday, going five-for-five.
Now, speaking of nerves — I’ll admit, I had a few before driving down Highway 7 last Tuesday with the first Rosetown Eagle under my ownership. They disappeared pretty quickly once I started meeting subscribers who popped into the office to grab their papers during the Canada Post strike.
David McIver and I did our best to get those papers in numerical order, though apparently we each had our own idea of what “order” meant. Let’s just say it was a learning experience. By the time we got the dealer copies out — maybe not promptly, but eventually — we had a good laugh and a plan for next time.
I was genuinely touched by how many people stopped in to introduce themselves. Full disclosure: the odds of me remembering your name are slim to none, but I’m great with faces. I even met the mother of one of my old high school classmates — hello, Tim MacTavish! I hadn’t thought of you in years. Tall, skinny, happy-go-lucky guy from Coleville. Funny how small Saskatchewan really is.
For now, we’re renting the Eagle office through October, so that’s still the place to pick up your paper while the postal strike continues. We’re hunting for a smaller, permanent home in Rosetown and will keep you posted. Thanks for your patience — we’ll do our best to keep the papers flying into your hands, one way or another.
And yes, I’ve heard the Corner Gas comparisons — the whole “Oh, you’re from Kindersley?” spit routine, just like Dog River and Wollerton. All in good fun. I remember playing basketball for the Kindersley Kobras back in the ’80s against teams from Rosetown, Kerrobert and Eston. Forget baseball and football — high school girls’ basketball was vicious. Those rivalries shaped us, though, and when it really matters, we still show up for each other in this little corner of the universe.
Some folks have joked that I’m trying to become the Conrad Black of west-central Saskatchewan. Let’s just clarify — I have no plans to follow that career path. My goal is simple: to bring you the kind of hyper-local news that feels like home. The stories that matter because they’re ours.
Whether it’s sports, newspapers or any small-town enterprise, the secret’s the same — teamwork and neighbourliness. Around here, that’s what keeps everything running. And it’s what makes this place so easy to love.