Broadcaster Kuiper says he'll be ready to call Giants' opener

The soothing voice of Giants announcer Duane Kuiper returned to the airwaves Wednesday morning on KNBR.

It was Kuiper's first time on the air since his wife Michelle passed away unexpectedly on Feb. 20 at age 64. Kuiper thanked everyone for the outpouring of sympathy and support and said he was looking forward to getting on with the baseball season after taking time to absorb the loss of his wife of 36 years.

“It's good to be back on,” Kuiper said of the resumption of his weekly appearance on the `Murph and Mac Show'. “It's not such a bad idea when you lose a loved one to take a little time off and that's what I did.”

Kuiper, 71, said he will call the Giants' Opening Day game on April 8 at Oracle Park with broadcaster Mike Krukow on NBC Sports Bay Area, and will leave Monday for a four-day, three-night trip to spring training in Scottsdale, Ariz.

“I wanted to sit back and get some strength for Opening Day,” Kuiper said. “I'd like to thank all the folks that were kind enough to touch base, whether it was through a text, or cards. I'll apologize — I did not pick up the phone if people called. Really was just in no mood to talk...I almost feel like everybody I've ever known in my life touched base. I appreciate it, it means a lot, and it really does help.”

Kuiper said the plan is to work a 20-game road schedule with Krukow from the studio as well as the home schedule on-site while playby-play announcers Jon Miller and Dave Flemming travel on road trips.

Last season, Kuiper took time off during the season for chemotherapy treatments to treat an undisclosed illness, but returned to the booth late in the season as the Giants won 107 games and the National League West. The combination of the pandemic and the recovery from chemo meant Kuiper spent the entire season without communicating face-to-face with players, coaches or manager Gabe Kapler.

“I still haven't met the newer guys and I want to do that,” Kuiper said. “I probably haven't had a conversation with Gabe in person more than once or twice for no more than five minutes. I'd like to touch base with him and just get out of town for a little bit. There is something about getting off that plane for your first and maybe only visit to spring training, feeling the warmth and you get the baseball vibe.”

Among the baseball topics addressed by Kuiper: ADDING LEFT-HANDED PITCHER CARLOS RODON >> “Rodon is one of those guys where if you're a lefthanded hitter especially and you're on the Giants' schedule, you're going to look to see when he's pitching. Logan Webb is a lot more comfortable to hit off of than Rodon. And he's going to be good. It's going to be a great 1-2 punch.”

THE SIGNING OF OUTFIELDER JOC PEDERSON >> “I've told Joc Pederson twice in the last three years that he is going to look good in a Giants uniform...he doesn't try to get a base hit to left field, he doesn't try to flare one into right, he tries to hit the ball into the water and it's going to be fun to watch.”

THE GIANTS NOT SIGNING A BIG-TICKET HITTER >> “Everybody wants Trevor Story. Everybody wants (Nick) Castellanos. I was hoping we would get one of those guys too. Even (Kyle) Schwarber. But you see some of the numbers these guys got, oh my goodness. I don't think Farhan (Zaidi) is ready at this point to lay out that kind of cash when they feel they can still put together a really good offense to go with their outstanding pitching.”