It was your run of the mill mid-June Major League Baseball game that came one night after fans were disappointed they didn’t get to see a matchup between two of the most dominant pitchers in the game. But last Wednesday night marked television history, when 32-year-old Jason Benetti became the first broadcaster with cerebral palsy to call a nationally televised game.
Despite his disability, Benetti has risen up in an industry that usually greets people with years of denial and relocation from one remote city to another. Most sportscasters are well into their 50s and 60s when they finally reach the big leagues, but the Chicago White Sox named Benetti the play-by-play announcer for home games this year after hearing him call lower-level events such as college, high school and little league sports.
Benetti’s path to the broadcast booth began when he unsuccessfully tried out the tuba for his high school marching band. The band director asked instead if he was interested in sitting in the press box during games and calling out the next set as the band was performing. It was in the press box where Benetti was exposed to play-by-play announcing and a passion was quickly born within him.
