IN another time and place, it might have been Lila Hamerslough Keiter behind the microphone, alongside her husband, longtime broadcaster Les Keiter. Life's been
one big ballgame
for the KeitersShe was the sports editor of her high school paper in the state of Washington. She was voted the outstanding baseball fan in her town, earning a trip to watch the minor league Seattle Rainiers.
She has always loved baseball. But proper young ladies in the 1940s weren't supposed to show up their beaus, especially when it came to sports.
"One of our first dates was to a Seattle Rainiers game on a Sunday afternoon," Lila Keiter said. "Les was showing me how to keep score in the program. Now I had been keeping score for years and I debated whether I should tell him or not. Finally, after three innings, I couldn't take it any longer. I took the program away."
She also stole Les Keiter's heart. They'll celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary Sept. 9.
AT a recent social gathering, it was a thrill to listen to Les Keiter recreate his memories, much as he had recreated those Hawaii Islanders baseball games. It was equally entertaining to hear the stories of Lila Keiter.
"It's a good thing I loved sports," said Lila Keiter, who was said to be quite a softball player when she was younger. "When we first moved to Hawaii in 1948, I did the stats for Les as he recreated two games a day.
"I've always liked baseball. I'm mad for the Atlanta Braves. I've even made Les into a Braves fan. And you know how much he's always loved the Yankees."
Lila Keiter accompanied her husband on a recent trip to Cooperstown, N.Y. Les Keiter's autobiography was placed on permanent display at the Baseball Hall of Fame.
"In the vernacular of my grandchildren, 'It was awesome,' " she said. "I was never so proud of my husband. And I've been proud of him many, many times."
Her baseball heroes make up a Hall of Fame lineup card. Ted Williams. Stan Musial.
"And what really gripped me at Cooperstown was the picture of Nellie Fox," she said. "He died so young, before he got into the Hall of Fame. He never realized the fruition of his baseball career."
Married in Seattle, the Keiters went East for their honeymoon. There were tickets to the theater, but more tickets for baseball games. They even rerouted their return trip through Cleveland to see the Indians play.
"Oh, we did see Niagara Falls, too," Lila Keiter said. "Les promised me it would never be dull. And he's kept his promise."
SHE doesn't like boxing. But that sport gave her one of the biggest thrills of her life.
"We went to London in 1966 when Cassius Clay fought Brian London in Wembley Arena," she said. "They played our national anthem and I swelled with so much pride. There is nothing like hearing your national anthem being played in a foreign country.
"I'm a real flag-waver. I've been very unhappy watching the Goodwill Games because they seldom show the medal ceremonies."
"Lila has been my strength," Les Keiter said. "She's always been there to share in the great moments of my career and when things didn't go so well. She was truly a natural match for me. If I had fallen in love with someone who didn't care for sports, it could have been brutal. When I first met her, I knew she was the one."
They have five children and eight grandchildren. Life has been a continuous ballgame.
"If there is a regret, it's that someone didn't encourage me to have a career before marriage," said Lila Keiter, who is a life master in bridge and owns a needlepoint shop, Lila's Originals. "I graduated from college, but in my day, the feeling was if you weren't married by age 22, you were considered an old maid."
It's the seventh-inning stretch in life for the Keiters. If you have the chance, ask them for stories. It's as good as having been there yourself.
Cindy Luis is a Star-Bulletin sportswriter.
Her column appears weekly.