Baseball season is here, and a good game requires a good public address announcer.

Knowing the players, their stats and how to call a play is all part of the job for La Mirada High School’s announcer, Ryan Zurn. At 11 years old, Ryan is the youngest announcer in the game.

He and his father, Jimmy, shared their story with "LA Times Today."

Jimmy Zurn explained why having an announcer is key to a successful baseball game.

“To be a good baseball announcer. Obviously, I think you got to pronounce things correctly as you can. You got to be clear, you got to be concise. You’ve got to be vocal, loud. It’s a big job. You, behind the scenes, set the tone for the game. Games are just better with an announcer,” he said.  

Ryan started announcing when he was 9 years old, when he was asked to announce a midseason game.

“When I was first asked to announce, I wasn’t doing as much stuff as I do now," he said. "I wasn’t giving recaps. I wasn’t saying the starting lineups at the beginning of the game. I know I was really nervous because if I messed one up, I would totally blame myself, even though everyone makes mistakes."

Ryan first got involved on the baseball diamond when he sang the national anthem at La Mirada games as a five-year-old. As he got older, his interest in the sport grew.

“School is the most important thing for me, but baseball is really close," Ryan said. "I learned to love the game when my dad started coaching me in Little League, and he told us that no matter what happens, no matter what, when you lose or when you have a bad season or a good season, it’s to love the game for what it is and to make friends and make life moments."

Ryan was asked if he would rather be a professional baseball player or a pro baseball announcer. He said he’d love to do both.

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