San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
Krukow won’t shed tears for ‘old school’ baseball
Through a week of COVID discomfort, Mike Krukow pondered the game he once knew. Make it past tense, for when it comes to baseball’s “unwritten rules,” that game has vanished. And not a moment too soon, according to the team Krukow and Duane Kuiper have broadcast with such distinction over the years. It’s time to adjust when you watch the Giants, and that’s exactly what they’ll do.
Yes, the virus bug did catch up with Krukow and his wife, Jennifer, at their home in Reno this past week. “She had it first, but she’s tested negative several times and she’s good to go,” Krukow said in a Thursday telephone conversation. “I’m coming out of it now, but it got us pretty good for several days. Pretty much what you hear from so many people — like a heavy cold, fatigue, not sleeping great, just the blahs.
“I don’t mind it being out there,” he said. “Maybe it’ll help those people sitting on the fence about getting vaccinated. Yeah, I do have COVID, and I’m getting through it, and I thank God every day I had the vaccination, because I only got the mild version of what can happen.”
Krukow didn’t miss any work assignments because the Giants were on an extended road trip; for health reasons, traveling has been ruled out this season for Krukow and his partner. The break has given both men time to reflect on a very modern-day evening of baseball on the Padres’ recent visit to Oracle Park.
After Steven Duggar stole a base with the Giants leading 10-1 in the second inning, and Mauricio Dubon dropped a bunt single up 11-2 in the sixth, the Padres were fuming — especially coach Matt Williams — in their dugout. Krukow and Kuiper weren’t too thrilled, either, as they recalled the kind of oldschool response (such as intentionally hitting a batter) so prevalent when they played.
Krukow broke into the majors in 1976, Kuiper having arrived two years earlier, “and at that time there were unwritten rules in baseball that we held sacred. Well, that was 46 years ago. You go back 46 years before we broke in, and it’s 1930. What were the unwritten rules then? Baseball was all white, it was a game with no helmets, there were eight teams in the league, and the only postseason was the World Series. They used 45-ounce bats. Illegally, you could go to the mound and load up the baseball with all kinds of stuff (to make pitches more effective). Just a completely different game.
“Now you go from our time to present day: There are no collisions allowed at home plate. There are no collision breakup plays at second base. The way teams celebrate, slam-dunk style in your face, flipping the bat on a home run or taking a slow trot around the bases — it doesn’t
to today’s generation. So for Duane Kuiper and I to hold steadfast to the game we knew in the ’70s, that’s unrealistic. We’re talking about unwritten rules that no longer apply.”
It was instructive to hear manager Gabe Kapler emphasize that these once forbidden acts are absolutely part of Giants’ strategy, that they’ll play at full speed for nine and take every opportunity to maximize their talent and advantages.
“And when you saw the Padres’ reaction in their dugout that night, there still is an observance of the old ways — but it’s no longer handled the way it was then,” Krukow said. “Nobody’s gettin’ thrown at, no fights are breaking out over this. The game has softened up, but is that a bad thing? No.”
Kuiper said he and Krukow will maintain their integrity by being critical at the appropriate times, “but we need to get used to the way things are played now, and we get used to that. It’s our job. Look, I’m not gonna apologize for the way we played the game, and for how we believe it should be played. Because I’m proud of how we played it, and I’m proud of how we policed ourselves. But, also, it’s time for us to turn the page.”
Krukow felt Dubon and Kapler made a crucial point about the Giants’ strategy: putting relentless pressure on the opposing pitching staff. “If you went five innings in the ’70s, you were labeled a Five-and-Fly, and it’s not the label you wanted to have. Now you go five innings and you did your job. So there’s great importance to getting into a team’s bullpen. Get ’em warming up. Have ’em make a few stress throws, put ’em in a stretch. Make ’em have a 25-pitch inning — smart. We want to burn those arms because it might affect the series, or the season, later on. And you know what? I absolutely accept that.”
Injuries abound
If the basketball gods exist, presiding over the karmic order of things, they’ve been hovering over the Warriors lately. Injuries are threatening to tarnish the NBA playoffs, and Golden State got a couple of scares in Thursday night’s Game 3 with Draymond Green (ankle) and Jordan Poole (elbow) before it became clear they’d ready for Sunday’s Game 4.
Giants broadcaster Mike Krukow acknowledges the game is different from when he was an active player.
That hovering cloud has moved on, at least for the moment, ready to crush some other team’s hopes. Check this list of elite-level Western Conference players sidelined during or throughout these playoffs:
Denver: Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. The Nuggets wouldn’t get past the Warriors under any circumstances, but with these two high-powered scorers healthy, and maybe a month of on-court preparation time, they win Game 3.
Phoenix: Devin Booker, out 2-3 weeks with a hamstring strain. That’s an awfully long stretch for Chris Paul to carry the load. In terms of the MVP voting, Booker is the NBA’s No. 1 guard.
New Orleans: Zion Williamson, forever sidelined with
Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum have turned the Pelicans into a serious threat; imagine Williamson crashing the party inside.
Dallas: Luka Doncic. Whatever encouraging signs come into play, Doncic should know you don’t mess with a calf strain. There’s great danger in coming back too soon.
Given all these injuries, and the Warriors’ strong start against the Nuggets, the Warriors have overtaken the Suns as the favorite to win the NBA title, according to Vegas oddsmakers. And as we summon the Warriors’ reaction to all this, we find not a trace of sympathy.
We all remember Kevin Durant going down at the worst time. Green, Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry missed a combined 104 games this season. Their collective good health is so refreshing, not to mention a blessing for the fans, the franchise and the league. If punishment is the basketball gods’ priority these days, the Warriors have done their time.