30-05-2025
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Glen and Duane Kuiper have a new gig: Private shows after Giants games
There's a bit of off-Broadway to the Gotham Club's latest entertainment at Oracle Park, a members-only occasion after the San Francisco Giants' Friday-night home games. But it's been a smash hit so far, as the Kuiper brothers talk baseball with a bunch of old friends.
For Duane Kuiper, it's a special bit of family connection. For Glen Kuiper, it's a lifeline.
'Duane and I have never done something like this before,' Glen said by telephone this week, 'and it's a whole lot of fun. So far, we've had Will Clark, Dennis Eckersley, Dave Dravecky, Mike Krukow and Dave Flemming come join us.' (Ron Wotus will be among next Friday night's guests after the Giants-Braves game.)
To say the least, Glen could use a bit of levity. His broadcasting career was abruptly terminated on May 6, 2023, when he was suspended by NBC Sports Bay Area for using a racial slur — an utterance he claims was purely accidental — during an Oakland A's telecast from Kansas City.
Since then, he has concealed his outrage behind the gratitude of getting a chance — any chance at all — to get back on the air. He has appeared on Marty Lurie's KNBR pregame show, as well as Lurie's weekly Zoom calls inside the baseball community. This year, Duane approached Steve Revetria, who oversees Giants Enterprises and the Gotham Club, with the pair-of-brothers proposal.
'He thought it was a great idea,' Duane said by telephone from Miami, where the Giants opened a three-game series Friday night. 'I really appreciate the Gotham Club for allowing us to do this. We had to check all the boxes, making sure the Giants were OK with it, and (CEO) Larry Baer was like, absolutely. Go for it.'
The Gotham Club shows are a private affair, without video or audio available to the public. Duane walks up to the club (adjoining McCovey Cove) some 20 minutes after his Giants' call is done, and the shows last about 40 minutes before 'a full dining room. I mean, it's packed,' Glen said.
'Who knows where it's leading? I think my best chance to keep working and call games again is with the Giants, someday. But I could be completely off-base there. It's just nice being back, not having to worry about what people are thinking about me. That seems to be a thing of the past, you know?
'What counts for me most is working with Duane,' he said. 'A lot of people sort of cast me aside over this thing, and he's been the good older brother, very protective. That means so much.'
There are no shortcuts to a comeback for a broadcaster in Glen's position. 'The whole point is to get him to the ballpark, get him involved, make him as relevant as you can,' Duane said. 'He's getting back in the game at the proper pace, and people are digging it. I'm really happy the way it's going.'
So what's the show called? 'Give my son, Cole, credit for that,' Duane said. ''Friday Night Kuips.''
