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The 2024 Ford C. Frick Award finalists were announced by the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. This annual honor is given to the best baseball broadcaster in the country. Among the ten finalists were Mike Krukow and Duane Kuiper, the renowned commentators of the San Francisco Giants.

In 2020, Mike Krukow (left) and Duane Kuiper (right) call the game from separate booths.

In 2020, Mike Krukow (left) and Duane Kuiper (right) call the game from separate booths.

From 1976 to 1989, Krukow pitched in the major leagues for 14 years. He began his career with the Chicago Cubs and finished it with the Giants for seven of those years. Having pitched in 369 games, he finished his career with a 3.90 ERA and a 124-117 record. He was an All-Star with the Giants in 1984 and even came in third in the Cy Young voting.

Following his playing career, Krukow started working as a color analyst on local Bay Area radio stations. He was a full-time broadcaster for the station by 1994, when the Giants had established themselves in the Bay Area following concerns of departure.

Kuiper, who was almost identical to Krukow, played second base in the major leagues for 12 years, from 1974 to 1985. He concluded his career by playing for the Giants for four years. He participated in 1,057 games during his career, hitting.271/.325/.316 with 29 triples, 91 doubles, and one home run.

Even though he was still playing with the Giants, Kuiper started broadcasting himself in 1992. He had his own show on the same station as Krukow. Following his retirement, he started announcing Giants games. He did so from 1986 to 1992, when the Giants were about to relocate, at which point he accepted a one-year contract with the Colorado Rockies. He gave the booth back in 1994 and has been there ever since.

With a combined 17 Emmy Awards, Krukow and Kuiper, also known by their fans as “Kruk and Kuip,” have been a cornerstone of Giants radio and television broadcasting for more than 30 years. Additionally, Kuiper was a 2023 Ford C. Frick nominee.

The other eight nominees were Joe Buck, Joe Castiglione, Gary Cohen, Jacques Doucet, Tom Hamilton, Ernie Johnson Sr., Ken Korach, and Dan Shulman. The following are listed as requirements for the award: “Commitment to excellence, quality of broadcasting abilities, reverence within the game, popularity with fans, and recognition by peers.” Three baseball historians and the twelve live recipients of the award will cast votes for the winner.

Voting on his longstanding colleagues will be broadcaster Jon Miller, a familiar face for the Giants. The following people will be on the panel this year: Denny Matthews, Al Michaels, Miller, Eric Nadel, Bob Uecker, Dave Van Horne, David J. Halberstam, Barry Horn, Pat Hughes, Marty Brennaman, Bob Costas, Ken Harrelson, Tony Kubek, Denny Matthews, and Curt Smith.

Though it would be wonderful, neither Krukow nor Kuiper may require this distinction to be regarded as some of the greatest broadcasters in Giants franchise history. During the winter sessions on December 6th, the winner will be declared.