Over the past handful of years, there have been hundreds of baseball games at Pullman Park, heartbreaking defeats and exhilarating wins on the gridiron at Art Bernardi Stadium and countless hard-fought battles on the wrestling mat at the Butler High School gymnasium.

Through it all, there has been one constant — Jay Miranda.

Some might be unfamiliar with the name, but almost every Butler sports fan would recognize his voice bellowing down from the speakers overhead.

Miranda can be heard announcing Butler High School football games and wrestling matches, along with just about every single baseball game at Pullman Park.

“He's a true Butler guy and really loves to see our sports teams do well and wants to be involved,” said Butler athletic director Bill Mylan. “He's very passionate about his work.”

Miranda began as a volunteer at Center Township baseball games and has been a familiar voice in the community ever since.

“I basically took a small PA system, some CDs and during the tournaments I'd announce the kids and play music in between innings,” said Miranda, “and it kind of blossomed from there.”

Miranda graduated from Butler High in 1983 and went on to major in communications at Duquesne University. He has since worked for several TV and radio stations in Pittsburgh and Butler.

His professional touch has been a particular asset to the Butler BlueSox. Miranda has announced BlueSox games since the franchise's inception.

“Jay is unquestionably the voice of the Butler BlueSox and has been for five years,” said BlueSox managing partner Wink Robinson. “When I go to other Prospect League ballparks and hear the public-address announcer at those baseball fields, it makes me appreciate the excellent work that Jay does.”

The dedication to his craft is a big reason why. Miranda always arrives to the ballpark early and is ready for whatever the night brings.

“We have a game script and Jay has to follow along with that,” Robinson explained. “Sometimes we throw him curveballs and very rarely does he swing and miss. Usually, he hits it out of the park.

“Like anything in life, if you prepare, you're going to do well,” he added. “Jay prepares, does his job quietly, doesn't want accolades and doesn't want recognition.

“He just likes being behind the glass at the Pullman Park press box.”

Miranda sits in the press box at Art Bernardi Stadium and brings the same amount of energy and dedication.

“He'll get things the night before and make sure he has everything down for the following day. He's very dependable,” said Mylan. “He's been there through thick and thin.”

Watching his alma mater succeed on the football field in 2012 was a breath of fresh air.

Butler reached the playoffs for the first time since 1998 last season.

“Oh my gosh,” Miranda said. “When last year's team finally made it, I was ecstatic. I think I was more excited for them than they were.

“Especially the last game of the season, knowing that they were going to the playoffs. I announced, 'Now introducing your playoff-bound Butler Golden Tornado!'

“The crowd went wild and we haven't heard that in a while,” he added. “It was a very gratifying moment. Hopefully, this year's team will set the bar even higher than last year's team and I think they're going to do it.”

His Butler pride extends to wrestling. Miranda initially became involved through his son and was the president of the booster club at one point.

He watched the program evolve firsthand.

“Not only did we have talented wrestlers, but it was the team concept itself,” said Miranda. “Everyone thinks of wrestling as an individual sport, but the team collectively was very good. They were able to beat traditional powers that Butler had never beaten before. It was nice to see that.”

Miranda became the full-time PA announcer at Pullman Park following the renovations in 2008. Perhaps no one has watched more baseball in Butler since.

“This park has kept me very busy,” said Miranda. “Ever since the park has opened, a lot more games have been played. We're going to be eclipsing almost 230 games this year.”

Witnessing the multitude of athletes grow throughout the years has been one of the most rewarding aspects of the job.

“I've seen a lot of baseball and kids come and go,” Miranda explained. “It's kind of nice seeing them play in the Colt division and the Legion division and the high school division. Then all of a sudden you see them playing here at Pullman at a college.

“It's neat and gratifying to say, 'Wow, they became really good ballplayers.'”

It all started back in the early 2000s, watching his 12-year-old son play in a Little League tournament for Center Township.

His wife, Tina, and four children — Anthony, Alexander, Angela and Alexandra — have been there every step of the way.

“That team he belonged to made it to the District 25 Little League World Series finals,” Miranda recalled. “That was an exciting year. The crowd there was incredibly huge for a Little League game.”

But no matter the skill level or magnitude of the game, Miranda takes the most pride in simply giving kids acknowledgment for their hard work.

“The biggest thrill for me is seeing the kids smile and know they're being recognized while hearing their name through a PA system, 'Now batting ...' I get a big kick out of the big smile from the kids,” Miranda explained. “Making them feel like big leaguers. That's the biggest thing.”