Via a questionable source, a story began circulating on the internet Wednesday that Duane Kuiper plans to retire from broadcasting at the end of this season. The article said a mini-farewell tour is in the planning stages.
Kuiper’s longtime partner, Mike Krukow, joined KNBR on Friday morning and made a point to let everyone know that the “report” is a complete fabrication.
“There’s a story circulating on the internet,” Kruk began with Murph & Mac. “And during the game Wednesday, my son sends me this story and says ‘Dad, what’s going on with this?’ It was a little story that Duane Kuiper is going to retire at the end of the season. And I looked at this thing and I looked at Kuip and I go, ‘Hey, did you know you were retiring at the end of the season?’ And he took the thing out of my hand, he goes ‘Where the hell’d you get this?’ ‘It’s on the internet right now.’
“Sure enough we brought up ‘Duane Kuiper retirement’ and there it was, in all it’s glory. And it was not only there, there was people that were responding to it and they had a little chat going on.
“I just want to say, that is not going to happen. Whoever was responsible for creating that BS, shame on you. Kuip and I are not retiring. We’re both going to retire the same day, and it’s when we drop dead behind the microphone. Not any time soon.”
Kruk and Kuip have been calling games together since 1994. Though both have dealt with health issues in recent years, it sounds like neither has much interest in stepping away any time soon, much to the delight of Giants fans.
“So anybody who believes that, please don’t,” Krukow concluded. “It’s not true, we’re not going anywhere. Certainly Kuip. Kuip is the guy who will be buggy whipping me to come to work here.”
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