Broadcast news: Krukow, others picking up the pace

It's not a game that he's broadcasting, and maybe the San Francisco Giants aren't even involved, but Mike Krukow is working it all the same. He knows he needs to be ready for the major leagues' new pitch clock, so he's practicing in private at his home in Reno.

“I'm in my office with the TV on and the sound turned down, trying to watch the game — usually two a day — and make comments in time to get out of the way of the next pitch,” Krukow said on Friday. “Treating it like I'm calling it for real.”

Krukow's physical limitations have made it impossible for him to travel, so he hasn't been a presence at spring training. His first chance to call a game will be March 27, when the Giants close out the exhibition season with a night game against Oakland at Oracle Park.

In the meantime, he's working on his storytelling. Gone are the days when a dawdling batter or a walkabout pitcher create huge chunks of air time.

Everyone's on the clock. Hurry up or pay the price. For Krukow and his longtime partner, Duane Kuiper, it's a time to appreciate their long association with the late Hank Greenwald, who broadcasted games over two stints in San Francisco.

“When we worked with Hank on radio, he used to say, ‘Get the hell out of the way before the pitch is thrown,' ” Krukow said. “Make your word picture and take a hike. That's gonna be a real challenge now. But we love it.”

Kuiper, gratefully able to travel after his debilitating medical conditions kept him mostly at home last season, will be at Yankee Stadium for the Giants' regular-season opener March 30. When he's on the road — and that covers their entire trip through New York and Chicago — Krukow will play the analyst's role from a San Francisco studio.

“On the radio, you really have to fundamentally stop to let the play-by-play guy call the pitch,” Kuiper said. “On TV, you can be a little loose on that. I'm not gonna interrupt Mike if he's telling a story, because the pitch might not be put in play. He can keep right on going. I know it'll be a little harder on him because he's gotta pick up his pace — but that's gonna take him about three innings.”

Such is the beauty of Kuiper, universally recognized as baseball's best play-by-play man among those who played in the major leagues. “Every once in a while during a broadcast, we'll lose the video,” Krukow said. “And Kuip, just automatically, goes from TV mode to radio mode. So responsive to the moment. I just sit there and look at him, because he doesn't even know he's doing it.”

From what Kuiper has gathered about the pitch clock or the rest of the game's new rules, “I have no negative vibe at all,” he said. “Things will come up and there will be some confusion, but overall, it isn't nearly as complicated as I thought it would be.

“I also think it encourages a whole new dialogue for fans. It's up to us to explain why the clock violations take place, especially at the start of the season, but I don't think we have to go into a lot of detail every game. I think everybody's been hit over the head with the rules. They get it.”

Although the fans might not notice, “We'll have to cut down on the promos for a homestand when we come out of a commercial break,” Kuiper said.

“Special events, what's being given away, all that stuff 's out the window now. It's more like, ‘The Giants are gonna be back in town Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, so get your tired butt out to the ballpark.' ”

It remains to be seen how MLB will offer the pitch clock to television viewers. “So far, teams are using their old graphic boxes — showing balls and strikes, runners on, velocity, pitch counts — to include the clock counting down,” Krukow said. “You have to show it somehow. It's something everyone needs to see.”

And the overall take from Krukow? “We've got our game back.”

Some observations from other local broadcasters:

Ken Korach, A’s radio: “Just make sure you keep your eyes on the field — and that won't always be easy. Maybe you're making a note of something, or reading a promo, and wait a minute, there's a violation? What's going on? We had a game in Goodyear (Ariz.) the other day and there was a 1-0 count before the inning even started.”

Jon Miller, Giants radio: “We had that happen, as well, where suddenly the umpire's got his right hand in the air, signaling ‘one' at the very start of the inning. So exactly what is the violation? Could be on the pitcher, the hitter, or even the catcher for not being in the box. And that can happen at any moment. I believe the umpires have to be miked up, telling the crowd what happened and what is the count.”

Vince Cotroneo, A’s radio:

“My challenge, so far, is that I don't want to stare at the umpire as he monitors how many seconds are left for anybody. Certainly we can see the clocks, but I don't want to see the countdown on every pitch. That'll drive you crazy. You're not going to hear me on radio saying, ‘He's down to three seconds. He's down to two.'”

Dave Flemming, Giants radio/TV: “The joke is that we'll all have to talk faster, but we're getting rid of so much dead time, stuff that's not very exciting to talk about. Watching someone see Kenley Jansen take forever between pitches, you just feel like saying, ‘Just throw the damn ball! Let's go!' ”

Korach: I was fortunate to grow up listening to Vin Scully, who told a good story like no one else. Would he have to cut it down now, if he were working? I'm not sure. The old rule said you never start a story with two strikes, but if you talked to broadcasters who'd been around a long time, they'd tell you when Scully started a story, the next 10 pitches would be fouled off.”

Miller: “The best of it is that the game is actually being played on the field. We're done with pitchers taking a stroll off the mound, or hitters walking out of the box after every pitch. These things don't happen in other sports. The quarterback doesn't turn away from the line of scrimmage to walk out toward midfield, then come back to take his helmet off, adjust it, then put it back on.”

Cotroneo: “It won't be long before people catch on to everything, and we don't have to explain. Yeah, now the new drinking game has to be any time a broadcaster says the word ‘disengagement' (for pitchers making a pickoff throw or stepping off the rubber).' Let's just say a lot of people won't be feeling any pain because of that.”

Flemming: “It seems odd to me that this will continue right through the postseason, when you appreciate a few seconds of letting that drama build. With so much at stake, there are times when you just don't care if it's taking a long time. But I also think that with the games played at the proper pace, kids are gonna be able to stay up and watch. That is a massive positive.”

Korach: “I think for all the bumps in the road, it's going to be better for everybody. This sort of reminds me of the great Bill King when he was doing the Warriors' telecasts. After one offseason when Bill came back from the break, he showed up with a beard. (Owner) Franklin Mieuli said, “I'm not sure I like it, but something had to be done.”