Longtime broadcaster Duane Kuiper will return to the Giants’ booth in 2022, he said on the “Murph & Mac Show” Wednesday morning.
Kuiper, 71, is entering his 37th season of commentating. He’ll be in Oracle Park on April 8 with broadcast partner Mike Krukow to ring in the Giants’ 2022 season.
Kuiper’s radio hit on Wednesday was his first public appearance since the passing of his wife, Michelle, in February. He thanked everyone who sent him and his family well wishes.
“It’s good to be back,” Kuiper said on KNBR. “It’s not such a bad idea when you lose a loved one to take a little time. That’s what I did and that’s what I’m doing with spring training games. I’ve got such great partners to pick up the slack.”
Last year, Kuiper missed a significant portion of the season after undergoing chemotherapy. The 13-time Emmy Award winner received an outpouring of support from Giants fans. One game, he surprised Krukow in the booth.
Later in the season, Kuiper and Krukow threw out the ceremonial first pitch before Game 1 of the National League Division Series.
The beloved duo of Kruk and Kuip will voice the Giants for their 31st season together in 2022. They’ll call home games but won’t travel with the team, Kuiper said, giving former Giants Javier López and Shawn Estes more chances on the call. Kuiper said he and Krukow will call 20 away games from the studio in the Bay Area.
Kuiper plans to head to Arizona for three days of spring training soon, he said. Thus far, a combination of Dave Flemming, Jon Miller and Krukow have been calling the games that have been broadcast on NBC Sports Bay Area.
Listen to the full interview with Duane Kuiper below. You can listen to every KNBR interview on our podcast page at knbr.com/podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Catch Murph & Mac weekdays from 6 – 10 a.m. on KNBR 104.5 / 680 and streaming live on KNBR.com.
