Updated Aug. 6, 2026, 1:34 p.m. ET
Mike Krukow, a one-time All-Star pitcher who entertained San Francisco Giants fans alongside fellow broadcasting legend Duane Kuiper, announced he will retire at the end of the season, ending a 36-year run behind the microphone.
Krukow, 74, and Kuiper have been the voice of Giants baseball for their most glorious years in the Bay Area, their low-key musings and undeniable chemistry providing the soundtrack for their runs to three World Series titles, along with their move to what’s now Oracle Park and the record-breaking accomplishments of slugger Barry Bonds.
Krukow has been slowed in recent years by a degenerative muscle disease that has prevented him from traveling with the squad; he and Kuiper have called home games with road assignments parceled out among the rest of the Giants broadcasting crew.
“I just want to let everyone know that I will be retiring at the end of the season. I want to take this time to thank you for your incredible support,” Krukow said in a statement released by the club. “Jennifer and I have been so blessed to be able to stay in the game for as long as we have and it’s really made it impossible to feel sorry for myself that my career is coming to an end.
“We are bracing for the emotional hits we know we are going to feel in the next few weeks. Jennifer and I are wondering if it is even possible to let everyone know how deeply we love and respect our Giants family. Our time together has been a gift. When Green Day asked, ‘I hope you’ve had the time of your lives,’ we certainly have.”
Krukow’s mention of the Bay Area rock trio is appropriate, as he has been woven into the city’s fabric for decades. Krukow pitched seven of his 14 years for the Giants, often serving as staff ace for some terrible ballclubs at wind-swept Candlestick Park. He earned his lone All-Star nod in 1986, when he won 20 games.
Yet the club’s prosperity as he transitioned to broadcasting seemed karmic payback for the grim years spent on the field. He and Kuiper lent a voice to the exploits of greats like Bonds and Buster Posey but also characters such as two-time Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum, Hunter Pence and Sergio Romo, now a studio host for the club.
The pair were nominated for but did not win the Hall of Fame’s Ford Frick Award for broadcasting excellence in 2024.
Krukow has always been blunt and entertaining in his broadcasts and elsewhere. After the organization came under fire when a group of pitchers altered or refused to wear the club’s Pride Night hats, Krukow responded on the club’s flagship station.Â
“I think when you’re a player and you come into this environment, it’s your responsibility to know just how sensitive this city is in regards to that cultural freedom and religious freedom, and just the way that you live your life,” Krukow said on KNBR.
“And I think they were in for a rude awakening with the response, and it wasn’t just from the gay community; it was from the Northern California community that supports the gay community.”
