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A familiar ring will be missing at King Stadium this weekend.
Six teams will compete in the fourth annual Andre Blanleil Sr. Memorial Fastball Tournament without the event’s most ardent fan behind the backstop for the first time.
Known as “Granny” in fastball circles, Eileen Blanleil, wife of Andre Sr., died on April 26. She was a regular at the park since the 1960s when her husband played there. She later watched and cheered on her three sons — Andre Jr., Rene and Maurice — who played from the mid-70s to the present. Later, her grandsons and granddaughters also competed at the venerable park in the north end of Kelowna.
A special tribute will be paid today beginning at 7:45 p.m. to Eileen, remembered for her undying loyalty to her family teams and animated comments directed at their opponents.
It was unlikely that players and other fans didn’t know Granny was in attendance, but the ringing of her famous/infamous bell left no doubt of her presence.
Action at this year’s event begins at 8 p.m. today, with games going all day Saturday. Three games are scheduled for Sunday, with the final set for 1 p.m.
Andre’s Athletics will play host to the Kelowna Rangers, HD Parts Bombers of Kamloops, Segwyits of Chase, Abbotsford and the defending-champion Fleetwood Marlins.
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