The moment Duane Kuiper surprised Kruk before the game pic.twitter.com/RHM0mYffMo
— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) July 25, 2021
Today Duane Kuiper surprised us all by returning to calling games without fanfare. This surprise probably shocked one man the most though, his long-time cohost, and friend, Mike Krukow.
It’s only been seven weeks since Kuip took a break, but it feels like years. In early June, Kuiper announced he was diagnosed with a medical condition that required him to immediately begin chemotherapy treatment. The medical treatment would require some time off for the veteran, a respite Kuiper says he is happy to have over.
“Sitting on that couch after awhile….my wife is so happy that I walked out of the house today, where she gets six hours where she doesn’t have to worry about me tripping or falling, or what I’m going to eat, or what’s going on. Im thrilled to be back,” Kuip told Greg Papa on the NBCS broadcast.
“The one thing I’ve definitely learned while I was gone, is how much I appreciate my partners,” Kuip continued.
The best part about his return? Krukow had no idea he was coming back today.
“What a buffoon! I’m the only guy in the Bay Area that doesn’t know he was coming back! He got me good, it was a sight for sore eyes,” Kruk said nearly speechless.
Welcome back, Duane Kuiper! pic.twitter.com/LkPvVuOAWb
— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) July 25, 2021
