John Kruk recalls wild umpire interaction in penultimate MLB game: ‘Think I threatened to kill him'
The TV analyst revealed Monday night that he once threatened to kill the umpire during a game in the 90s — the same ump who was calling the balls and strikes in Philadelphia's 5-2 win over the Marlins in South Beach.
'I just got a text message from Judson Burch,' Kruk told broadcast partner Tom McCarthy of his former ESPN partner. 'Big Phillies fan. Big umpire savant. He said Brian O'Nora has been around so long, he threw you out of a game.'
Advertisement
John Kruk's career ended with the White Sox.
Getty Images
At McCarthy's prodding, Kruk dug into his memory to recall the shocking event.
'The game before I retired, I think I threatened to kill him,' Kruk said.
Advertisement
O'Nora, wrapping up this third season of MLB umping, was indeed behind the plate on July 28, 1995, a game in which Kruk's White Sox fell to the Orioles, 4-3, in Baltimore.
Kruk, 34, struck out looking against Doug Jones in the top of the ninth inning, the 15th straight hitless at-bat for the three-time All-Star — which seemingly led to him letting off some steam at O'Nora.
Brian O'Nora has been umpiring for a long time.
Getty Images
Advertisement
Whatever Kruk said, it apparently worked.
The following game, Kruk, batting third as the Chicago DH, singled off Baltimore starter Scott Erickson in the first inning and immediately called it a career.
'He threw me a BP fastball, I got the dog crap jammed out of me and hit a little blooper,' he said on 'Pardon My Take' in 2024. 'So I drove home. I grew up two-and-a-half hours from Baltimore. I drove home, and I went to my house. I turned on the TV, and I'm watching the rest of the game, and our announcers are like, 'We don't know what happened. We know he was limping. But we haven't got a report yet, but we think it's a hamstring.''
Advertisement
Kruk, who also played for the Padres and Phillies, revealed he'd requested Erickson throw him the pitch so he could walk away from the game with a .300 career average.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
26 minutes ago
- Yahoo
📸 All in black: Chelsea unveil their third kit
Black, it's black. Chelsea and Nike have unveiled the third kit of the London giant for the 2025-26 season. The inspiration is once again the legendary Total 90 collection, but this time the look of the shirt is completely black. Chelsea and Nike official What do you think of Chelsea's proposal? This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here. 📸 Richard Pelham - 2025 Getty Images
New York Times
29 minutes ago
- New York Times
Bryson Stott, Trea Turner are playing freely and powering the Phillies' lineup
PHILADELPHIA — There was no epiphany for Bryson Stott last month when he pored over video of his swing. He's stubborn, like most big-league hitters, and he had been unable to answer why he kept clipping underneath balls. All of those lazy flyouts to left field were the antithesis of what Stott is supposed to be. He is still not sure this slight adjustment — correcting a bad habit by moving his hands a few inches lower to begin his swing — has solved anything. Advertisement 'Beats me,' Stott said Wednesday afternoon after three more hits in an 11-2 Phillies win. 'Probably less movement.' This is the best sport because it is the dumbest sport; Stott and the many Phillies hitting coaches obsess over swing mechanics. It's not that no one noticed Stott's hands creeping higher and higher over the last year or so. It just happened. And no one wants to tell a hitter to change something in the middle of a grinding season without knowing whether it'll actually help. But Stott needed something after the All-Star break. He discussed it with Phillies hitting coach Kevin Long about a month ago, right around the time Stott's son was born. They decided to make the tweak. It was most noticeable on July 23, the day Jaxson was born, when Stott hit a ball harder than he had in two months. It was a double. Then, two innings later, he homered. Stott is hitting .333/.410/.556 in 83 plate appearances since that night. 'So here we are,' Stott said. 'It feels more natural.' This is all the Phillies have ever wanted from their talented but mercurial double-play tandem, Stott and Trea Turner. Be natural. There are endless superlatives from a three-game demolition of the Seattle Mariners in which the Phillies posted 48 hits. But the two infielders up the middle who hit ninth and first in the lineup are flaunting their natural skills. It's powering the lineup. Turner and Stott have combined to score 25 runs in 19 games in August. They have 48 hits and 11 stolen bases. They have drawn 14 walks. They have played exceptional defense. It won't be like this forever. It is welcomed right now as the Phillies attempt to pad their division lead ahead of next week's pivotal series at Citi Field against the New York Mets. Advertisement Turner, like Stott, is a dynamic player who can put pressure on the opponent with his athleticism. The Phillies wanted Turner to do something natural — use the field, hit line drives, run all over the place. He's applied all of the adjustments they requested. He is having the best season by a Phillies shortstop in almost 20 years. 'It feels like he's gotten three hits a game for the last three weeks,' Stott said. Almost. Turner has collected 21 hits in his last seven games, an absurd heater that has raised his batting average by 22 points. He leads the majors in hits. He'll take a run at the National League batting title. Turner's 21 hits over his last seven games are the most by a Phillies player in almost 100 years. Lefty O'Doul had 21 hits in a seven-game span during the 1930 season. The last player in Major League Baseball with 21 hits in seven games was Johnny Damon, who had 22 in 2004 with the Boston Red Sox. Some of them are cheap ones, as Turner calls them, but that's a benefit of game-changing speed. He has a 10-game hitting streak. 'He's using the entire field right now,' Phillies manager Rob Thomson said. 'He's thinking line drive.' 'Consistency is nice,' Turner said. There were times last season when Turner looked tentative. Like he was playing not to get hurt. He raced for the extra base in the first inning Wednesday and bellyflopped into third base for a leadoff triple instead of settling for a double. That mattered. He scored on a sacrifice fly to tie the game. He stole two more bases, raising his total to 31 — his most bags since 2021. He's sacrificed some power, but a .357 on-base percentage atones for it. This is the most complete version of Turner the Phillies have gotten since he signed his $300 million contract before the 2023 season. And he's been in the on-deck circle for most of Stott's at-bats in the past month. Stott has seen a ton of pitches this season — that has never been a problem — but he's been passive in favorable counts. Advertisement Now, he is doing more damage with the lowered hands. 'I mean, you see the talent there,' Turner said. 'We all know how good he is. He was a little frustrated with himself early in the year. I just feel like he was missing pitches that he should hit. That's kind of the difference.' The mechanical adjustment, Thomson said, has simplified things for Stott. He drove a ball to the wall in the second inning to put the Phillies ahead for good. 'He knows where the barrel's at,' Thomson said. 'You get that guy at the end of your lineup and he gets hot, that really helps your offense.' Stott will have to prove it for a longer period, which is what Turner has done this entire season. Stott turns 28 in October and is almost through his fourth season in the majors. He has, at times, lacked an identity at the plate. He'd be too passive, then, when he attacked, he would mishit pitches he could drive. Before Wednesday's game, he joked that he wasn't thinking about left field anymore. That part of the field is no good for him. Then, in the seventh inning, Stott batted with runners on the corners in a one-run game. The Phillies put on a hit-and-run. Harrison Bader dashed for second base and Stott slashed a 93-mph fastball on the outer edge of the plate. It skipped past Seattle third baseman Eugenio Suárez and into left field for a run-scoring single. Bader went to third. Then, Stott stole second base. Turner singled home Bader while Stott stopped at third. Turner stole second base. They both scored on a Kyle Schwarber single to right. It was everything the Phillies needed. It was Stott at his best. During his four-year career, he's been defined by prolonged stretches of mediocre baseball. He'll look too mechanical or too stiff. Then he'll have 30 days like this. What is Stott? 'Today,' he said. 'Today. Steals. Hit and runs, drive guys in, all sorts of things. That's what I am.' (Top photo of Trea Turner and Bryson Stott: Mitchell Leff / Getty Images) Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
Indianapolis Star
an hour ago
- Indianapolis Star
Indianapolis pro athletes who have suffered long-term injuries: Pacers, Colts, Fever
Tyrese Haliburton played a little over seven minutes in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals before suffering what turned out to be a torn Achilles tendon. Kyle Terada, Imagn Images Jul 15, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) reacts with a possible injury after a play against the Connecticut Sun in the second half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images David Butler II, David Butler II-Imagn Images David Butler II, David Butler II-Imagn Images Victor Oladipo is out for the rest of the season after injuring his knee in the second quarter against the Raptors at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Andy Lyons, Getty Images, Andy Lyons, Getty Images Oct 8, 2023; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Team personnel tend to Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) after hurting his shoulder during a game against the Tennessee Titans. Mandatory Credit: Bob Scheer-USA TODAY Sports Saints Wire Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck (12) breaks down into tears during a press conference announcing his retirement after the preseason game against the Chicago Bears at Lucas Oil Stadium, Saturday, August 24, 2019, Indianapolis. Grace Hollars/IndyStar Aug 1, 2014; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Team USA guard Paul George is carted off the floor on a gurney after suffering a lower leg injury during the USA Basketball Showcase at Thomas & Mack Center. Stephen R. Sylvanie, Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports (INDIANAPOLIS STAR FILE PHOTO) Indianapolis Colts player Steve Emtman grimmaces as he is taken off the field in the second quarter after suffering a season-ending knee injury, his second in as many years. The Colts lost to Dallas 27-3. Oct. 10, 1993 PHOTO BY RICH MILLER. PHOTOS FROM LIBRARY, Indianapolis Star Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning can only reflect on his time as a Colt in Indianapolis while owner Jim Irsay fields questions after it was announced that the Colts were letting go of Manning after 14 years during a press conference at the Indianapolis Colts complex on Wednesday, March 7, 2012. Matt Detrich/The Star Injuries derailed Steve Stipanovich's NBA career. Rob Goebel/The Star Life-size posters of Indiana Pacers star Clark Kellogg compliments of Seifert's Potato Chips were passed out to fans Jan. 3, 1986. IndyStar File Training staff tends to Indianapolis Colts linebacker Shaquille Leonard (53) on Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022, during a game against the Tennessee Titans at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Armond Feffer/IndyStar Purdue forward Robbie Hummel sits on the bench after injuring his back against Indiana on Saturday, February 21, 2009. Brent Drinkut, Brent Drinkut/Journal & Courier Oct 2, 2021; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (9) walks off the field after suffering an injury during the third quarter against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew OHaren-USA TODAY Sports Matthew OHaren, Matthew OHaren-USA TODAY Sports
