DALLAS — The collective legacy of Duane Kuiper and Mike Krukow will not be defined by their résumés, but by their impact on the game of baseball. Still, there is no shortage of people in the baseball world who want to see Kruk & Kuip win the Ford C. Frick Award — together.
Those folks will have to wait at least one more year.
For a second straight year, Krukow and Kuiper both came up short Wednesday of winning the award given annually to an MLB broadcaster for “major contributions to baseball.” The honor went to Tom Hamilton, the longtime radio play-by-play announcer for the Cleveland Guardians.
The other nominees included Skip Caray, Rene Cardenas, Gary Cohen, Jacques Doucet, Ernie Johnson Sr., Dave Sims and John Sterling.
Related Articles
‘One of those guys’: With deal official, Posey offers praise for Adames
Buster Posey ‘bullish’ on Camilo Doval returning to SF Giants in 2025
Winter Meetings charity auction to benefit renovations for Willie Mays Park
Top 15 remaining free agents after Mets land Juan Soto
SF Giants miss out on Soto as he reportedly lands largest deal in sports history
Given they’ve been one of baseball’s best tandems for three decades, Krukow and Kuiper will likely get another shot at winning the Frick Award.
Kuiper jumped full-time into the broadcast booth in 1986 following his playing days. Aside from one year he spent working for the Rockies in 1993, Kuiper has graced the airwaves in San Francisco for nearly four decades.
Krukow began working as a color commentator on a part-time basis in 1990, covering 14 games during his inaugural season in the booth. His workload increased to 45 in ‘91 and 72 in ‘92 before becoming full-time in ‘93. When Kuiper returned from Denver in ‘94, Kruk & Kuip officially became a full-time duo in San Francisco, a post they’ve held for three decades — and counting.
“Mike has been the best color announcer for a baseball team in the last 30 years,” Kuiper said of Krukow. “You’re going to get arguments from people in Atlanta. You’re going to get an argument from people in Houston. They could argue all they want, but I know for a fact that he’s been the best.”
“It doesn’t happen very often where you see an analyst get to the level he’s gotten to as a play-by-play broadcaster,” Krukow said of Kuiper. “It just doesn’t happen very often. I think his uniqueness is what justifies his being on that list, and hopefully someday, will justify him being selected as the Ford C. Frick winner.”
Mel Allen and Red Barber were named the first recipients of the Ford C. Frick Award in 1978, but since then, there have not been multiple winners in a single year. Time will tell if the Hall of Fame makes an exception to properly honor the Giants’ duo.
“I want each of them to win the award for their individual skill and accomplishments,” said former Giants executive Corey Busch to this news organization. “I don’t want to see a Ford C. Frick awarded to the team of Mike Krukow and Duane Kuiper. Each one deserves to win as individuals. Having said that, I think it would be wonderful if they were both granted that honor in the same year. There’s no reason why they couldn’t make that exception given the fact that they’re so incredibly worthy as individuals and they’ve been together for so long.”
