Iconic Giants voice Mike Krukow announces retirement at end of season

SAN FRANCISCO -- Beloved Giants voice Mike Krukow announced Thursday that he will be retiring at the end of the 2026 season, capping an iconic 36-year run in the booth alongside his best friend and broadcasting partner Duane Kuiper.

“I just want to let everyone know that I will be retiring at the end of the season,” Krukow, 74, said in a statement that was released by the team. “I want to take this time to thank you for your incredible support.

“Jennifer and I have been so blessed to be able to stay in the game for as long as we have and it’s really made it impossible to feel sorry for myself that my career is coming to an end.

We are bracing for the emotional hits we know we are going to feel in the next few weeks. Jennifer and I are wondering if it is even possible to let everyone know how deeply we love and respect our Giants family.

Our time together has been a gift.

When Green Day asked, ‘I hope you’ve had the time of your lives,’ we certainly have.

Thank you.”

The Giants plan to celebrate Krukow’s legacy during their regular-season finale against the Dodgers on Sept. 27 at Oracle Park.

“While we knew this day would eventually come, Mike Krukow stepping away from the broadcast booth is a deeply emotional moment for our Giants family,” Giants CEO and president Larry Baer said in a statement. “On behalf of our extended Giants family, I want to express our profound gratitude for everything Kruk has given -- not only to this franchise, but to each of us personally. For decades, he has shared far more than his voice. He has been our spiritual leader.

“With his beloved and inseparable partner Duane Kuiper, he has taught generations of fans about baseball, brought us inside it from the perspective of a Major League pitcher and called every game with incredible insight, unmistakable humor and genuine heart. Most importantly, he has had a rare gift for making every Giants fan feel like they belong. Whether someone is sitting in the ballpark, watching from home, or listening on the radio halfway around the world, Kruk makes every Giants fan feel like they are part of something bigger -- a family.”

One half of the broadcasting duo known fondly as “Kruk and Kuip,” Krukow has been synonymous with Giants baseball for decades, delighting fans with his incisive color commentary, his humor and his colorful catchphrases like “in the squaaat” and “grab some pine, meat!”

In 2014, Krukow revealed that he was suffering from inclusion-body myositis, a degenerative muscle disease that causes progressive weakness in muscles of the hand, forearm, thigh and lower leg. The condition requires Krukow to use a motorized wheelchair, creating travel challenges and eventually forcing him to cut back on his broadcasting schedule.

Still, the Giants and NBC Sports Bay Area came up with a creative solution to keep Krukow and Kuiper together for certain road games, arranging a split-cast setup that allowed Krukow to continue to provide live commentary from a remote studio in San Francisco.

The two first became friends when Krukow was traded from the Phillies to the Giants ahead of the 1983 season. Between Krukow’s starts, the pair would often sit at the end of the dugout bench and perform broadcasts to entertain their teammates during games.

They officially moved their act to the booth in the early ’90s, providing indelible calls for legendary franchise moments such as Barry Bonds’ record-breaking 756th home run, Matt Cain’s perfect game and the Giants’ World Series runs in 2010, ’12 and ’14.

A 13-time local Emmy Award winner, Krukow was named California’s 2015 and 2017 Sportscaster of the Year by the National Sports Media Association. He was also a finalist for the Ford C. Frick Award for baseball broadcasting excellence in 2017 and 2024.