It took him by surprise. Someone offered a cheery “happy anniversary” to Mike Krukow the other day, and he had no idea why.
“I’ve been married to Jennifer for 45 years, but that’s not it,” Krukow responded. “What are you talking about?”
It took him by surprise. Someone offered a cheery “happy anniversary” to Mike Krukow the other day, and he had no idea why.
“I’ve been married to Jennifer for 45 years, but that’s not it,” Krukow responded. “What are you talking about?”
It definitely feels like history. Only two major-league partnerships have lasted longer than Kruk & Kuip: 32 seasons for Vin Scully and Jerry Doggett with the Brooklyn-Los Angeles Dodgers (1956-87) and 31 for Marty Brennaman-Joe Nuxhall with the Cincinnati Reds (1974-2004).
Krukow and Kuiper didn’t become a full-time Giants partnership until 1994, but their first pairing goes back to 1990, when Krukow did a few guest appearances. “You have to count everything,” said Jon Miller, the Hall of Fame broadcaster who works mostly on radio. “So it’s absolutely 30 years. I think it’s safe to say they’ll break that record.”
To honor the occasion, The Chronicle interviewed Krukow and Kuiper on a Zoom call from Oracle Park, where they have adjoining booths separated by plexiglass as a precaution in the era of COVID-19. An oral history of how the pairing came together three decades ago:
Krukow: The first thing to know is that none of this happens without Corey Busch. He is absolutely the reason both of us got into broadcasting.
