Rating the MLB TV booths: The NL West
By Bill Felber
San Francisco Giants: Duane Kuiper, play-by-play; Mike Krukow, color.
The Kuiper-Krukow team is virtually unique in MLB; along with Buck Martinez and Pat Tabler in Toronto, it is the only telecasting team consisting entirely of former major leaguers.
That Kuiper was never professionally trained as a broadcaster makes the level of sophistication he has attained at the communicative arts more than mildly interesting. Maybe those tens of thousands of dollars spent in pursuit of a college degree in communication really aren’t of much value.
Over the course of more than a quarter century in the booth, he has developed a facility for language, for expression, and a touch for relating with his audience – over their mutual love of the Giants – that works effortlessly.
Krukow, whose skills mirror those of Kuiper so much that they could work interchangeably, also joined the Giants booth in 1994. A pitcher for 14 seasons mostly with the Cubs and Giants, he won 20 games in 1986, endearing him to San Francisco fans.
Like Kuiper, he has a naturally sophisticated delivery that mixes knowledge and humor often without appearing to even be aware of it. Their rapport flows from their mirrored skills.
This team’s era of telecast dominance within the NL West may be coming to an end. Over the past few years Krukow has gradually cut back his workload as a concession to age and infirmities, and since the duo’s greatness is mutually reliant the relative loss of one partner weakens the whole.
It is likely they will soon be overtaken in the NL West by the Padres’ team; indeed, many might argue that has already happened.
Experience: 5
Likeability: 5
Knowledge: 5
Humor: 5
Rapport: 5
Oratory: 5
Total: 30