Latest news with #Kruk
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
John Kruk's galaxy brain clock take will have fans in tears
The post John Kruk's galaxy brain clock take will have fans in tears appeared first on ClutchPoints. It was a largely inconsequential game between the Philadelphia Phillies and Seattle Mariners. To which, former Phillies player turned analyst John Kruk, known for his hot takes, did himself one better. In the bottom of the 4th inning with the Phillies leading 6-0, Kruk provided some in-depth analysis of all things the invention of the clock, per Jomboy Media. 'How did that person know what time it was? Kruck asked. For the sake of reference, the clock was not invented by a singular individual. It was more of a development process dating back to Ancient Egypt and Babylon. However, Christiaan Huygens invented the pendulum clock in 1656. In the 1750s, African American inventor Benjamin Banneker invented the first functioning clock. Kruk played for the Philadelphia Phillies from 1989 to 1994. In 1993, he helped lead them to the World Series, where they would lose to the Toronto Blue Jays in six games—a series in which Joe Carter hit a walk-off home run in the decisive sixth game. Along the way, Kruk became a three-time All-Star (1991, 1992, 1993). In the 1993 All-Star game, Kruk's at-bat against Randy Johnson lives on, as he avoided a wild pitch but ended up striking out to protect himself. Altogether, Kruk batted .309, with 62 home runs, 145 doubles, and 390 RBIs in 744 games with the Phillies. At the same time, he became a fan favorite for his self-deprecation and outgoing personality. The broadcasting style of John Kruk Since retirement, Kruk has successfully transitioned into becoming a Phillies analyst for NBC Sports Philadelphia. Before that, he was a color commentator for ESPN. Along the way, Kruk has lent his personality to the booth and provided some interesting takes. Recently, Kruk called Phillies pitcher Jose Alvarado 'selfish' after being suspended for 80 games for violating MLB's drug policy. Nevertheless, the fans still love his takes and his continued support of the organization. In that instance, never a broken clock. Related: Phillies' Trea Turner reaches career milestone with emphatic HR Related: Phillies' Zack Wheeler gets positive surgery update following blood clot
New York Post
a day ago
- Sport
- New York Post
Phillies analyst John Kruk asks the questions about clocks you never knew you had
The Phillies had already built a six-run lead by the time Alec Bohm fouled off a pitch in the fourth inning Monday, so John Kruk, the former Philadelphia star and now a broadcast analyst, decided to go on a tangent between pitches. And this one involved some deep thoughts about the history of clocks. Advertisement Kruk gave broadcast partner Tom McCarthy a warning, at least, asking the NBC sports play-by-play announcer, 'So you know when I think of things when I have free time and I shouldn't?' After McCarthy acknowledged that, yes, he does know of those instances, Kruk then asked how the first person to ever invent the clock knew 'What time it was?' 'That's a really good question,' McCarthy replied, before later adding, 'There is that sundial they might have used.' John Kruk is pictured before a Phillies game in 2023. MLB Photos via Getty Images Advertisement 'Is that accurate, though?' Kruk then asked. 'I guess it's as accurate as it can be,' McCarthy replied after shifting his attention back to the sequence unfolding on the field, when Bohm reached on a throwing error by Mariners second baseman Cole Young. Advertisement It continued an eventful inning for Kruk, who in the top of the frame — during a segment depicting a sandwich — asked McCarthy, 'If I ever become a vegan, would you just punch me in the face as hard as you can?' Around Kruk's tangents, the broadcast pairing called the Phillies' 12-7 win over the Mariners, which increased Philadelphia's lead in the National League East to 5 ½ games with the Mets off Monday. John Kruk swings during a 1993 game for the Phillies. FocusThe Phillies jumped out to a 6-0 lead after just two innings against Seattle starter Logan Gilbert, and shortstop Trea Turner and first baseman Bryce Harper combined for eight RBIs to power the Philadelphia offense. Advertisement Kruk, who spent six seasons of his career with the Phillies and retired to end his 10-year career following his lone season with the White Sox in 1995, has worked for the team's broadcasts since 2017. The Phillies and Mariners continue their series Tuesday at Citizens Bank Park.
New York Post
18-06-2025
- Sport
- New York Post
John Kruk recalls wild umpire interaction in penultimate MLB game: ‘Think I threatened to kill him'
Phillies legend John Kruk didn't end his playing career on good terms with longtime umpire Brian O'Nora. 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.
San Francisco Chronicle
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Kruk & Kuip let fans in on behind-the-scenes shenanigans during SF Sketchfest tribute
Since they were San Francisco Giants teammates, Mike Krukow and Duane Kuiper had a rule: if they didn't laugh 'very hard' at least five times every game, then they'd had a bad night. The two former baseball pros, first brought together during a blustery three-season tenure at Candlestick Park from 1983-85, recall regularly passing time on the bench by making crude commentary during gameplay — provided it remained safely out of earshot of no-nonsense manager Frank Robinson. That banter's never stopped. The duo, affectionately known by fans as Kruk & Kuip, have been the voice of Giants gametime TV since 1990, with former pitcher Krukow on color commentary and the one-time infielder Kuiper on play-by-play. But on a rare off-night between Giants home games, the Hall of Fame-bound broadcasters came out of the booth for a special tribute presented by SF Sketchfest. The friends arrived onto the Sydney Goldstein Theatre stage Thursday, May 15, decked in matching sequin-encrusted gold and silver blazers, capped off with comical flaming torch headwear courtesy of the newly christened Hoo Lee Gans, a fan club for Korean outfielder and rising Giants star Jung Hoo Lee. Eager to see their cherished interplay in action, moderator Jesse Thorn, of NPR's 'Bullseye,' quickly tasked Kruk & Kuip with providing on-the-spot commentary for highlight footage from their own careers. And there's nothing quite like hearing Kuiper utter his iconic 'it ... is ... OUTTA here' in reference to his own — and only — home run of his 11-year MLB career. 'It's weird because as a regular listener, I hear them talk almost on a daily basis. But this was different,' said Peter Bellamy, who drove in from Stockton. 'Not only was it cool to hear them swear, but it was also really sweet to see how much they both still mean to each other after all this time.' Kuiper's meta-call of his home run was just one of many highlights of the evening, which even featured limited merchandise designed by local retailer San Franpsycho like hats emblazoned with the pair's popular 'Gamer Babe' catchphrase. Though occasionally rambunctious, the crowd mostly channeled an atmosphere of reverence as they listened to the pair reminisce about their singular tenure as teammates on the field, then partners calling the game in the booth. 'He didn't like me, and I thought he was just OK,' Kuiper recalled with a laugh. 'He was a peacock,' Krukow told Thorn, 'so I had half an attitude against him. And then when I got traded to the Giants and got to the clubhouse, it took me about five minutes to fall in love with him.' The close friends consistently exuded the confidence of a long-running vaudeville act. While unscripted, every line sounded polished as they shared their stories, ranging from an affinity for Croix de Candlestick pins (free to those who endured extra-innings in the notoriously chilly weather at the Giants now-defunct former home) to the decades of pranks they pulled on friends and colleagues. 'During my time sharing the booth with (Hall of Fame broadcaster) Joe Morgan, he would take his headset off and ask someone for a hotdog,' Kuiper gleefully shared. 'I could see Joe in the reflection of the window from my seat, so every time he took a big bite, I would go 'I thought that pitch was a little outside Joe, what do you think? ' and he would start spitting out the dog trying to get his set back on. Then I'd say, 'Nevermind,' and he never caught on.' While rich with the laughs one might expect — at one point Thorn forced the two to play 'The Match Game' to hilarious results — Thursday's tribute also included more than a few profound observations from two friends who have shared more than 40 years side by side. Sitting in a wheelchair, Krukow was blunt about living with inclusion body myositis, a progressive inflammatory muscle disease that causes muscle weakness. The 73-year-old said 'it sucks' to no longer be able to take part in activities he used to enjoy while also sharing a touching anecdote about all the highs his life has brought him. 'You can't write your own story on the way out,' Krukow went on. 'You don't know what's going to happen and it isn't always fair, but when I lay down at night and close my eyes, it's September 1985 and I'm walking into Shea Stadium to face the New York Mets. I never get past the third inning, but I have that experience, and it's a gift.' Kuiper, 74, similarly pointed to baseball and his friendship with Krukow as anchors that helped him to survive his grief since the unexpected death of his wife Michelle in 2022. 'I'd been going to spring training for 48 years — always Arizona — so I needed to get to spring training. Everybody grieves differently,' he said. 'When I got there, I knew I was going to be OK because I was going to be able to do games with this guy and watch the team I love, and I know that's what she would want.' Aware of the evening's rarity, fans from near and far flocked to fill the space, donning Giants gear and gamely singing along during a show-closing rendition of 'Take Me Out to the Ball Game' lead by Krukow. 'As broadcasters, we get to do something that the players never get to do,' Krukow told the audience. 'We're in your living room every night having dinner with you during the season. You know us. We're part of your family. That has been the greatest gift that you could ever give anyone.'
