New Tigers television play-by-play voice Jason Benetti is known nationwide as one of the brightest, busiest, most talented young broadcasters in sports. He’s also one of the most versatile talents in the business, calling everything from baseball to college football to college and pro basketball. He ventured from his introduction in Detroit two weeks ago to Seattle for college football, then to Purdue a couple days later for college basketball, then the University of Illinois the following night for another hoops match.

Behind the scenes, he’s also one of the leading advocates for those with cerebral palsy, because he lives with it. And his arrival in Detroit has the potential to provide a beacon for those in the area -- not just for awareness about the condition, but recognition of the great heights that people dealing with it can achieve.

Leslynn Angel, president and CEO of Michigan United Cerebral Palsy (MI-UCP), said she started receiving messages of excitement and joy from friends, colleagues and board members as soon as the Tigers announced the hire earlier this month.

“I think it will create some great awareness,” Angel said. “But who I think about the most are the young kids out here who have CP, to see someone like Jason in a role that they can identify with. It makes them realize that this is something that they can accomplish. Sometimes it's difficult to see yourself in different positions until you see someone there that you can relate with.”

Benetti has told his story many times. He was born premature and diagnosed early with CP, and underwent surgeries as a child to address it. The neurological condition impacts muscle coordination, movement and balance. For some people, the degree of those impacts extend to speech. For Benetti, the condition impacts his walk and his eyes. No one would tell from listening to his broadcasts that he has CP; it’s only when seeing him that anyone would notice. It is part of him, he likes to say, but it doesn’t define him.

Benetti is not only open about his condition, he freely discusses it, as he referenced during his introduction with the Tigers last week. Just as people see Detroit and make assumptions about the city, he said, they do the same with him.

“Part of my life,” Benetti said, “has been: I am somebody who does not walk like the average human being. I have an eye that drifts. I have cerebral palsy. Like, that is part of me, right? And I quite often get reactions that are not completely representative of who I am. I’m physically different, but mentally I can hold a conversation. And so I do think I get, I guess you would say, underestimated sometimes. And not to say it with a chip on my shoulder, but that’s just the way life works. Like, sometimes people think I can’t do stuff.”

Benetti worked with the Cerebral Palsy Foundation five years ago to create a YouTube animated video series called Awkward Moments, a national campaign designed to promote awareness in a light-hearted manner and, in so doing, create inroads for inclusion. The brief videos are designed to make people relax and laugh at what could otherwise be difficult situations and, in the process, create a better understanding about people with CP and how to handle everyday situations.

One of the videos addresses the awkward moment when people see somebody with a physical condition and presume there’s an accompanying mental condition, and begin talking slowly to a person in response.

"Stop believing the first thing you see about anybody," Benetti told colleague Scott Merkin in 2018. "But it's hard, because if you look at a green sign on the road and it's not an exit sign or street sign, then you freak out. We need buckets to put people in, but we also need to train our minds to not think it's the only thing.

"It's part of me, and that's part of the campaign, too. Don't assume that the first thing you see is the only thing you are going to see."

That, Angel said, is a common response, especially when CP affects a person’s speech.

“Depending upon how CP impacts their lives, it can vary from person to person,” Angel said. “I know a number of people who are extremely intelligent, very well-educated, who have cerebral palsy but they may have a speech challenge. …

“Often when you see someone with a physical disability, there is also an assumption that there is also a cognitive disability.”

Before the Awkward Moments campaign, Benetti was also part of the Cerebral Palsy Foundation’s Just Say Hi campaign that began in 2015. He has done speaking engagements in Chicago and nationwide discussing disabilities and inclusion.

Who is the last Tiger to win AL MVP in a unanimous vote?

A) Miguel Cabrera
B) Hank Greenberg
C) Denny McLain
D) Justin Verlander

Remember when the Tigers announced their jersey partnership with Meijer stores early this past season? The jersey patch was the obvious headline, but the partnership has a charitable side, with $100 donated for every strikeout recorded by a Tigers pitcher to fight hunger among local families.

The Tigers struck out 1,374 batters for the 2023 season, so Meijer and the Detroit Tigers Foundation announced last week that they will team up to donate $137,400 to the Meijer Simply Give program, which has helped feed families across the Midwest by stocking shelves of local food pantries since 2008.

“As Michigan-based organizations, the Detroit Tigers and Meijer are united by our shared commitment to community impact,” Ryan Gustafson, executive vice president and COO of Ilitch Sports + Entertainment said in a statement. “Our extended partnership underscores our common values and dedication to making a meaningful difference in Michigan.”

C) McLain

The right-hander received all 20 first-place votes to win AL MVP in 1968, the year he won 31 games.

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