Duane Kuiper
- David Hegler
- Mar 27
- 5 min read
Every summer, Giants fans from all over swoon of the popular radio broadcast show Kruk & Kuip. But while many are fascinated with their vast knowledge of the game and some even remember watching them play for the Giants at Candlestick Park back in the day, do they really know their backgrounds? Let's look at Duane Kuiper's life before he became one of the two most recognizable voices in the Giants broadcast booth.
The Early Years
Duane Eugene Kuiper was born in Racine, Wisconsin on June 19, 1950. Growing up on a dairy farm, he learned the value of hard work. However, hard work only takes you so far. He didn't get a lot of opportunities to show his skills at second base because Racine Jerome I. Case High School only played a 15 game schedule.
After high school, Duane Kuiper went to Centerville (Iowa) Junior College where he soon caught the eye of Southern Illinois-Carbondale. They were a stacked bunch that made it all the way to the 1971 College Baseball World Series Final, losing to USC 7-2. After the season, every player in the starting lineup was drafted, including their second baseman.
Aside from being picked 21st overall in the second phase (January 1972) of the amateur draft, Duane Kuiper had actually been drafted five times before 1971. But whether it was the Seattle Pilots, the Chicago White Sox, the Cincinnati Reds, the Boston Red Sox or even the New York Yankees, he turned down each offer. Although he was disappointed that the Cleveland Indians offered him half of what the Yankees had offered, Kuiper figured that he better accept the offer before word got out that he didn't want to play baseball..
The Minors
After playing rookie ball in Reno, California with future ace Dennis Eckersley, Duane Kuiper went to San Antonio in 1973 where he experienced a turning point in his playing career. While there, he spent much of that year learning under the tutelage of manager Tony Pacheco who took the time to tutor the young slugger in the finer points of hitting. It's exactly what the minor leagues have always been about.
As he progressed through the season, Duane Kuiper slowly began to gain confidence at the plate while he watched his batting average rise up to .286. While he would become better known for his defensive skills, Kuiper knew that he had to have a reliable bat in order to make the major leagues.
Cleveland
Sure enough, he was right. After posting a stellar .310 for AA Oklahoma City and being named an All-Star in 1974, Kuiper was called up to Cleveland on September 9 to replace an ailing Jack Brohamer at second base. The Indians beat the Detroit Tigers that day, led by Kuiper's second cousin Dick Bosman.
Fifteen days later, Duane Kuiper made his first start in the majors. But all was not well for the young second baseman. Many on the club had grown fond of Dick Bosman. Gaylord Perry even told him that tif he made any errors that he would make sure that Kuiper never played behind the great pitcher again.
While it took some time to unseat Brohamer, Kuiper remained patient. Even as he was beaten out in Spring Training 1975 and sent back to Oklahoma City, he knew that if he remained true to himself that his time would come. Besides, the club had just hired the legendary Frank Robinson as its new manager. Being the first Black manager in the major leagues was a tough and many of the older veterans resented him for getting hired. As a result, Robinson trusted the younger players more, figuring that they may be hungrier and more willing to listen to instruction.
Sure enough, Brohamer suffered a bruised hip that became infected in late May and Kuiper was called back to the big leagues. He took advantage of the opportunity, batting .292 in 90 games. By the time the next season came around, Brohamer had been dealt to the White Sox and Duane Kuiper had seized control of second base for the Cleveland Indians. He became an instant favorite of Robinson's due to his hustle and desire for greatness.
As he grew into the role as an everyday starter, Duane Kuiper led the his position group in the A.L in fielding (.987) while posting an on-base-percentage of .303 and batting .263 in 1976. He increased his RBI from 37 to a career high of 50 runs the following year, but that's not his most memorable achievement in 1977.
On August 29, 1977, he hit the only home run of his career. His lone home run bashed off of White Sox right-hander Steve Stone gave the Indians the momentum they needed to win 9-2. When his playing career ended, Duane Kuiper's 3,754 plate appearances was the most among those fortunate enough to have hit a single home run in the majors.
On July 7, 1978, Kuiper tied a major league record by slamming two triples while the bases were loaded at Yankee Stadium. Until then, only Elmo Valo of the Philadelphia A's in 1949 and Billy Bruton of the Milwaukee Braves in 1959 had accomplished such a feat. The six RBI was career high for Kuiper.
He again led his position group in fielding in 1979 with a .988 percentage while collecting 122 hits on a .255 average. It was his last full year in the everyday lineup. After two injury filled seasons, Duane Kuiper was traded to the San Francisco Giants for pitcher Ed Whitson. Awaiting his arrival was an old friend: Frank Robinson.
The Giants
Entering the 1982 baseball season, Duane Kuiper knew better than to get his hopes up. He already knew that the Giants had an aging, yet still reliable Joe Morgan commanding second base. So, Kuiper settled in as a pinch hitter. He did well that first year too, setting a club record with 14 pinch hits. While averaging .280 and recording an on-base-percentage of .375. Still, despite his excellence as a pinch hitter and Frank Robinson's leadership skills, the Giants failed to reach the playoffs that year.
Or any year, for that matter. As Kuiper settled in as a backup for Morgan, then Brad Wellman and Manny Trillo, the Giants failed to make the playoffs in any of his four official years with the club.
But something interesting happened in 1983 that would spark one of baseball's most memorable friendships. A pitcher named Mike Krukow came over from Philadelphia. In the two full seasons that they spent together, "Kruk" won 22 games while "Kuip" collected 67 hits.
By 1985, Kuiper's body was beginning to break down. The toughness he expressed back in 1981 as he helped Indians pitcher Len Barber earn a perfect game while wearing a bulky knee brace to sustain a knee that had just healed from torn cartilage the year before was beginning to backfire on his aging body.
But even then, Kuiper knew that he was mean for the broadcast booth, having hosted his own radio show on KNBR since he first arrived in the Bay Area back in 1982. Having spent so much time with his father who moonlighted as an auctioneer, Duane Kuiper developed a deliverance that was both unique and critical to his new profession.
After retiring as a player in 1985, he spent his time honing his skills as a broadcaster until he got his first big break as the original broadcaster for the expansion Colorado Rockies in 1993. But after that lone season a mile in the sky, Duane Kuiper returned to San Francisco to begin the wonderful partnership that we all know and love: Kruk & Kuip.
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