To Duane Kuiper, the soundtrack to our baseball summer: Get well soon

All these years later, there’s still a rush of adrenaline every Giants fan hears when Duane Kuiper begins describing a long flyball.

“High drive! Left field! It. Is. Ouuttttaaaa Hereeeeeee.”

The Giants could be in the heat of a pennant race or playing out the string of a 98-loss season, but the dramatic buildup of Kuiper’s home run call creates a split-second of shared suspense that resonates with listeners around the world.

When Kuip announced Monday that he’ll have to miss some upcoming games as he undergoes chemotherapy, I think anyone who knows or has listened to his broadcasts through the years took the news quite hard.

Kuiper’s voice was the soundtrack to my youth and remains the playlist to my

professional life, but it’s much more than his home run call or the classic, “Got Em!” after a strikeout that separates his voice from the dozens of other broadcasters who narrate major league games all summer.

Duane Kuiper is the reason I love baseball as much as I do. I imagine many of you feel the same way.

From the second I discovered the Giants as a 5-yearold kid, Kuiper’s voice came booming through my TV. His audio synced up with the pictures that dominated my childhood. From listening to his calls of Barry Bonds’ milestone home runs or hearing his awe in watching tiny Tim Lincecum break down a major league hitter, I stayed locked in through the good years and the bad because Kuiper and his unparalleled counterpart, Mike Krukow, made even the worst Giants teams appointment viewing.

For the last three decades, thousands of young baseball fans who grew up watching the Giants wanted to be just like Kuip.

I was one of them. In many ways, I still am one of them.

The old saying goes, “Never meet your heroes,” but I consider the time I’ve spent alongside Duane Kuiper in dugouts and press boxes around the country one of the greatest privileges of covering the Giants.

He’s a former player who became the best big moment broadcaster in baseball, yet he somehow boasts a “relatable everyman” persona that makes him one of the most beloved figures in a Bay Area sports landscape that’s no stranger to legends.

And for as famous as Kuip has become, he’s always the same person. He lights up when talking about his kids, takes delight in passing Raspberry Kringle from his hometown of Racine, Wisconsin, around the press box in Milwaukee and still feels the sting of a Giants loss like he did when he was manning second base.

A baseball season is a 162game marathon and when you turn the TV on at home or the radio on in your car, a baseball broadcaster becomes a part of your family. They’re with you every step of the way, from the climactic highs to the emotional lows, but the point is: They’re always with you.

More than three decades in, Kuip is now a part of more families than he could possibly imagine. He’s the soundtrack to our summers and the constant voice playing back in our heads.

From all the families Kuiper belongs to, we say, “Get well soon, Duane.” We can’t wait to hear from you again.

Notes

BELT RETURNS >> The club welcomed back first baseman Brandon Belt. The Giants optioned right-handed relief pitcher Camilo Doval to Triple-A Sacramento following Sunday’s game to clear a spot for Belt, who missed the past two weeks of games with an oblique injury.

SINGLE GAME TICKETS ON SALE FOR SAN JOSE GIANTS >> Full capacity tickets for the remainder of the 2021 season are on sale now. The first opportunity for fans to come out to the ballpark at full capacity is Tuesday, June 22.

While advanced and digital tickets will continue to be encouraged, the Excite Ballpark Box office will be open for walk-up sales MondayFriday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and for day of game purchases. Group areas will also return to full capacity with no limitations on group size.