15 minute read
SPECIAL FEATURE
Mike Krukow Reflects
BY TOM FRANCISKOVICH
on life, family and baseball
When San Luis Obispo resident MIKE KRUKOW walks into a room his enthusiasm is palpable, and it carries over into everything he does. The former San Francisco Giants pitcher remains in the game he loves as a broadcaster— with a style all his own.
he Miami Marlins have arrived in town for a three game series and San Luis Obispo resident Mike Krukow is already in fullform two hours before game time. Rising from his chair overlooking the field at AT&T Park in San Francisco, he extends both arms and shouts out to the visiting broadcast booth next door, “Hey, where you guys been?!” He gestures at his watch in mock disbelief. The once sullenfaced Floridians shake their heads in laughter, “It’s great to be back, Kruk,” one retorts, now wearing a broad smile. As a nine-year-old grammar school student, Krukow sat patiently waiting for the recess bell to ring one day while his teacher droned on about different types of jobs. “She told us about blue collar workers and white collar workers,” he remembers. When class finally let out, Krukow pondered the color of his future collar as he and his classmates got another baseball game going out on the playground. After school that day he went home and told his mother, “I don’t want to wear any collar, Mom—I want to be a baseball player.” Childhood was a series of baseball games, one following another. Before long, Krukow was the big man on campus at San Gabriel High School. With his sweetheart, Jennifer, in the stands cheering him on, rumors began to swirl that some Big League clubs had interest in the young catcher. Krukow’s collar-less future was within reach when it was announced that the California Angels had selected him in the 32nd round of the 1970 Major League Baseball Draft. He declined, and instead came up to San Luis Obispo where he enrolled at Cal Poly and joined baseball team. Fortunes shifted when Krukow moved from behind the plate to the top of the mound. As a pitcher, the Cal Poly Mustang posted a 1.94 earned run average, which is a record that stands to this day. It was not long before the same Major League scouts that had been analyzing his abilities as a catcher, began to sing his praises as a pitcher. The Chicago Cubs snapped up the prospect in the 8th round in
T1973 and, after paying his dues in the minors, Krukow was called up to pitch at Wrigley Field in 1976. Following a solid six years of duty for the Cubs, he was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies. A year later, the Phillies called the San Francisco Giants to talk them into swapping second basement Joe Morgan for Mike Krukow. When Krukow unpacked his bags in the clubhouse deep in the bowels of Candlestick Park, he found himself with a team in transition—to use baseball parlance, the Giants were “rebuilding.” Recognizing the need for good leadership within the team, the powers-that-be elected to hold on to their ailing infielder, Duane Kuiper, who had recently blown out his knee but was now an important insurance policy since Morgan was in Philadelphia. Since Kuiper’s role was more of a spot starter and pinch hitter, he spent a lot of time on the bench. And, as Krukow was a starting pitcher who played every fifth day, the pair found themselves together in the dugout often. Krukow initially dismissed Kuiper, “I thought he was a jerk,” but eventually became intrigued with his commentary during the game. Before long, the two were cracking themselves up with funny observations, mostly of other ballplayers, as they called the game for their teammates from inside the dugout. While Krukow was bouncing around from team to team and logging big miles on the road, his high-school-sweetheart-turned-wife, Jennifer, held down the fort in Pasadena, near their old stomping grounds and, most importantly, close to the couple’s parents. The Krukows were busy with their young family and both sets of grandparents played an essential role. Eventually Krukow began hosting an annual charity golf tournament in San Luis Obispo. Those annual trips morphed into two-weeklong family vacations. “After a while, it was like a slap in the face—why don’t we live here?” The Krukows had been sobered by the public school situation in Pasadena and viewed a move to the Central Coast as the best shot for their children. “It was the greatest thing we ever did,” explains Krukow. “The quality of life, the quality of public school education, the security.”
KRUKTIONARY
After a lifetime in baseball, Mike Krukow admits that “very little of what I say is original—I’m just bringing it from the dugout to the broadcast.” Wherever it came from originally, his lexicon is hugely popular with Giants fans and rather unconventional in the world of sportscasting. Here is a small sampling from the “Kruktionary”…
GRAB SOME PINE, MEAT
When the opposing team’s hitter strikes out. This is Krukow’s signature line and his voice can be heard in the Electronic Arts video game “MVP Baseball” when a strikeout occurs.
BALL DUDE
The Giants place volunteers in full uniform, usually men in their 60’s or 70’s, in front of the bullpen in the foul territories on either side of the field to protect the catcher, who is looking the other way, from wayward foul balls. Krukow calls them “ball dudes” and likes to comment on their fielding efforts.
TOO MUCH BOILER, NOT ENOUGH SHIRT
A fan with his stomach protruding from below his t-shirt. During a blowout when the game has gotten out of hand, and frankly no longer very interesting, Krukow and his partner Duane Kuiper are known to go on for several innings good-naturedly poking fun at fans.
SEABISCUIT LIKES BEER
Krukow observed a fan wearing a huge horse head costume and a Giants jersey swilling a brew in the stands. A classic Krukow commentary.
BRING A GLOVE, GET A BALL
Krukow insists that fans bring a their gloves to the ballpark and is relentless when a gloveless spectator misses a foul ball.
But, while Krukow was able to shake off signs from his catcher—if he wanted a curveball while his catcher wanted a fastball, the pitcher always had the last say—this was not the case with his mother-in-law. “She was pissed,” Krukow states flatly remembering the day he broke the news that he was taking her daughter and her grandchildren and heading for greener pastures in San Luis Obispo. “She didn’t talk to me for two years.” The silent treatment finally ended during a Thanksgiving visit when she grabbed the lanky pitcher by his throwing arm, pulling him toward her within whisper distance to say, “You made the right choice.” His in-laws eventually followed the Krukows finally settling in Arroyo Grande. Krukow’s parents, however, took a different approach. “When I told them we were moving, they said, ‘We’re coming with you,’ and proceeded us to San Luis by a couple of months.” The Krukow clan was then complete, fully relocated on the Central Coast.
In 1986, Krukow had posted an incredible 20 wins and was selected to pitch in the All-Star game. The following season Krukow was a key component in the Giants’ championship run—they lost to the Cardinals in the National League Championship Series that went seven games. (Krukow won the fourth contest and pitched a complete game.) But, it was during those years that he began to notice something was not quite right. His arm was not recovering like it once had. The next couple of years were punctuated by stints on the disabled list, and in the fifth inning of a game against the Atlanta Braves on June 11, 1989, he felt a pop in his shoulder. A month later Krukow underwent arthroscopic surgery to repair his torn rotator cuff. He officially retired in March of the following year.
With his baseball career over and a houseful of young kids to raise, Krukow looked to make a career change. The Giants had offered him a job as their pitching coach. “I told them I couldn’t do it. I’ve got to get back to my life. I’ve got four kids, and my wife’s pregnant. I need to be home.” Krukow tried his hand in the restaurant business by joining up with a former teammate to operate a group of Central Coast establishments including This Old House in San Luis Obispo and the SeaVenture Restaurant in Pismo Beach. Then, the following year, in an ironic twist of fate, Joe Morgan—the same Joe Morgan who the Giants had traded for Krukow back in 1982—was in the broadcast booth calling games. It turned out that Morgan could not make it to 15 of the home games during the season and they were looking for a stand-in. “Could you fill in, Kruk?” the caller from the Giants front office inquired. “I was miserable away from the game, like a fish out of water in the restaurant business. My wife told me to do it.”
“There’s magic here every night,” Krukow says as he points from his spot in the booth toward the diamond. “And it’s a great feeling to have someone listen to what you have to say, something that you are so passionate about. You don’t know how long it’s going to last. You take every day like it’s going to be your last one.” With his signature thick head of white hair moving along with the breeze coming off McCovey Cove, Krukow pauses briefly to reflect on his own comment. His family has experienced tremendous loss recently, as Jennifer’s parents and brother all passed away during the last 18 months.
Down below, the distinctive sound of cracking bats can be heard from the field as the Giants take their turn stepping into the batting cage. Occasionally a ball sails over the fence. A smattering of fans flank the lower reserve seats, hoping to catch a glimpse of their favorite player. Giants All-Star catcher, Buster Posey, steps up to the plate and cheers go out with each one of his line drives. Krukow changes the subject, sharing the secret to Posey’s success: balance on the front foot, inside-out-swing, taking what the pitchers give him, before returning to talk about his wife. “She’s had a really tough road lately, we all have. And just about the only thing that makes her happy these days are the grandkids.”
All five of their children are now involved in separate careers away from the Central Coast: Jarek, 34, lives in New York and works in sales; Baker, 30, is a manager at Graybar and lives in Reno with his wife and two children; Tessa,
KRUKTIONARY
HARVARD OF THE WEST
This is how Krukow refers to his alma mater, Cal Poly, during broadcasts.
GAMER BABE FROM HALF MOON BAY
A couple of years ago Krukow spotted a group of moms decked out in orange and black for a game on Mother’s Day. Off the cuff, he admiringly declared that they were “gamer babes from Half Moon Bay.” The name stuck and now identifies female fans who “wear the colors and know what’s what.”
JIMMY JACKIN’ AROUND
Wasting time, not paying attention. “The pitcher keeps Jimmy Jackin’ around with the rosin bag.”
CAN OF CORN
Any easy-to-catch routine fly ball.
UGLY FINDER
A foul ball that rockets into the dugout.
COORS LIGHT, THE WORLD’S MOST REEEEEFRESHING BEER
A unique take on the Giants beer sponsor and reportedly Krukow’s favorite brew.
I WANNA GET THAT, I WANNA GET THAT, I WANNA GET THAT!
Repeated three times quickly and excitedly during a broadcast after announcing some new item available in the Giants dugout store.
DEAD BIRD, DUCK SNORT, TEXAS LEAGUER, THING OF BEAUTY
Krukow alternates these descriptions for a bloop single, which is a hit, usually off a broken bat, that should have otherwise been an easy out.
28, found love in Australia where she lives with her boyfriend and works as a Crossfit trainer; Chase, 26, tends bar not far from the stadium in San Francisco; and Westin, 24, also in San Francisco, is a professional ballet dancer. Krukow’s pride is palpable when discussing his kids, and he reflects upon their upbringing in San Luis Obispo where they attended Los Ranchos Elementary, Laguna Middle School, and SLO High. “With a big family you kind of go up and down a bit financially. We almost lost the house like three times, but we always felt like we were the richest people on the planet because of how we lived and the air we got to breath, the environment, the schools. It’s an amazing place to live.” But, just as they did
when they pulled up stakes in Pasadena while beginning their family, the empty nested Krukows are on the move again. This time, the lure of the grandkids has enticed them to relocate to Reno. Krukow describes the decision as the “most emotional thing” he has gone through. “How do you go to Reno from San Luis Obispo? Are you kidding me?”
From the very first time he first took the mound at Wrigley Field where he retired the first seven batters he faced as a rookie, Mike Krukow has been winning the hearts and minds of baseball fans. Only now, it’s not his fastball, it’s his quick wit, keen sense of humor, and encyclopedic knowledge of the game. The Emmy Award-winning 62-year-old broadcaster references Vin Scully, the 86-year-old play-byplay announcer for the Los Angeles Dodgers as reason for a lot more baseball ahead. “I was extremely lucky to have a second life in this game, and I’ll continue to do this until I can’t get on the plane anymore.” baseball with others. He has been active in the Bay Area where he can be found donating his services to emcee non-profit events. Closer to home his annual charity golf tournament, at its high water mark, raised close to $30,000. He has also been a key supporter to Cal Poly Baseball, which he often references in his broadcast. In addition to supplying valuable items for the Mustang Madness auction—he once donated a ball signed by Barry Bonds— he has lent his name to the premium season ticket holder area at Baggett Stadium, which is known as “Kruk’s Klubhouse.” Some may also remember Krukow dispensing pitching advice to local youngsters as he donned his full uniform at Sinsheimer Stadium while parents
stood by anxiously checking their watches as he continued talking ball with the kids well beyond the scheduled stopping time.
Krukow calls growing up in baseball “the Reader’s Digest version of life” where everything revolves around the game. Players forever remain nine-year-old versions of themselves. And, maybe that’s where the magic he describes comes in. Maybe it is his youthful exuberance for the game that fans find as appealing as his ability to breakdown the complexities of the pitcherbatter contest. Or, is it his uncanny ability— usually during a blowout—to spot a kid in the crowd struggling to eat an oversized ice cream cone? Krukow has been known to describe the scene in great detail over three or four innings, and make a lopsided game enjoyable. In many ways, with his positive attitude—he does not hesitate to compliment the other team—his love for the game, and his light-hearted humor, Krukow symbolizes everything that is right in baseball. And, although he will no longer reside in San Luis Obispo, he vows to return often; and, as he is found of telling fans who faithfully tune into every broadcast, “We have dinner with you six months out of the year.” SLO LIFE
ELIMINATE ME, KRUK!
In a game against the Minnesota Twins on June 14, 2005, Krukow watched with amusement as fans there asked their broadcaster, Bert Blyleven, to circle them on his telestrator. Krukow developed his own spin on the “Circle Me, Bert” routine by “eliminating” spectators, or whiting them out, when he caught them talking on a cell phone during the game or failing to hand over a foul ball to a nearby child. Eliminating fans caught on with viewers in a big way and soon spectators were showing up at the park with signs that read, “Eliminate me, Kruk!” After his television station began selling sponsorships for the eliminations, the whole thing died down. Now, Krukow saves it for special occasions.
1.94
Krukow’s earned run average record still stands at Cal Poly.
LOCAL BASEBALL
Three of Krukow’s four sons played for the San Luis Obispo Blues. Jarek and Baker were both catchers, and Chase was a pitcher. Baker went on to play for the University of Nevada where the switch-hitting catcher also spent time as the team’s designated hitter.
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