Jake Parento
Age: 16
School: Deerfield High School
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Accomplishments: Jake Parento, known as the “Voice of Deerfield Baseball,” has a confident and resonating tone when he announces, very much like what one might hear at a Cubs or White Sox game.
“He has the kind of deep, echoing voice that is shared by all good announcers,” said Jon Smirles, Deerfield’s varsity level catcher.
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Prior to each game, Parento meets with the other team’s manager to get a copy of its line-up. Nailing the pronunciations of each name is an important part of Parento’s job, so he reads and rereads each one to avoid making mistakes when game time comes.
Most importantly, however, is Parento’s voice, which he manipulates the same way he’s heard announcers do on television. One voice, dark and lifeless, is reserved for announcing the visiting team’s batter. When Deerfield is at bat, Parento uses a louder, more energetic tone.
Even players from the other team have noticed Deerfield’s signature voice.
"Several times this season, guys from the other team have been on second base and said to me, 'Wow, that kid’s announcing is really good,'" second baseman Jake Kaplan said.
“I believe a good announcer adds the feeling of a professional baseball game,” Parento told Patch. “We have music, walk-up songs, a National Anthem, and an announcer…Every game, I try to make the players, coaches, umpires and fans feel like they are a apart of a professional baseball game.”
More than anything else, Parento excels at his job because he is a true fan.
"[The Varsity team] beat some very good teams. They beat New Trier for the second time in 20 years, and completed a for the first time in the last nine years," he said. "The comeback against Evanston is the icing on the cake."
Key To Awesomeness: Parento finds that he is more comfortable announcing a baseball game than speaking in a classroom.
“Go figure, the more people around, the more comfortable I feel talking,” he said. “In a small setting, it feels a lot different for me.”
Parento thanks Mr. Ruiz, Ms. Mason, Coach Marsh, Coach Downs, and the entire athletic department for the opportunity they’ve given him; he sees his announcing gig as something to look forward to as opposed to a chore.
Al Michaels from NBC and Pat Hughes from the Cubs on WGN Radio serve as major role models for Parento. He sees himself eventually entering their field, so listening to them gives him ideas about how he can improve.
“I can tell that [Michaels and Hughes] do a lot of preparation work, which is something I am prepared to do," the DHS student said. "If I can't do it in front of 50 people, how can I do it in front of thousands, or even millions?”
To hear what Parento sounds like, click on the video link above.
