Giants broadcaster Mike Krukow was on Murph & Mac Thursday morning, where he revealed that he will cut down his TV schedule to 120 games on the 2017 calendar.
He’ll be replaced by two people Giants know very well, Jeremy Affeldt, and the recently retired Javier Lopez.
“My schedule is going to be cut down to 120 games,” Krukow told Murph & Mac. “Not by design, not by the Giants’ design, but just by nature’s design. It’s what I can do. And Jeremy Affeldt and Javier Lopez are going to pick up those games. So they’re going to be a part of Giants baseball on TV this year.”
Krukow talked to SF Chronicle reporter Hank Schulman later on Thursday explaining he plans to broadcast all home games, as well as all NL West road games, but “Nothing East of Denver until the playoffs.”
Just talked to Krukow. He said he'll do all home games and NL West road games. Nothing east of Denver till the playoffs. #sfgiants
— Henry Schulman (@hankschulman) February 9, 2017
“The problem with me was just being able to maintain strength getting up and down stairs, getting out of the plane,” Krukow told told The Chronicle. “I have to respect it.”
During his call to Murph & Mac Krukow talked about one of the men filling-in for him, Javier Lopez, and what he meant to the Giants.
“A total guy with lots of character. In that clubhouse, on the field, I mean he was just a good teammate,” Krukow said Thursday. “And again, the guts of a burglar. He’d go out there and he would do what he does. And he was so consistent and so good at it. I mean we got him in 2010, he was the difference maker. I can’t tell you how many nasty leftys that he would face, one after another, and it seemed like nobody could touch this guy.
“He leaves the game with four World Series rings, one with the Red Sox three with the Giants, and just good vibes wherever his career brought him, whatever
city, whether it be Colorado or Boston or the Giants. Everybody was a fan of this guy. And he will have a place in baseball wherever he wants to go. He’s going to broadcast some games this year, and he’ll be fabulous at that as well.
“He’s one of those guys that when you play with, you feel like he gave you something. And he never took himself too seriously. He never elevated himself with an ego, he was just down to earth. He understood the game, and the importance of being consistent with your personality day in and day out, it’s just a grind.
“And I wouldn’t be surprised if he wound up in a front office. He can do just anything he wants, he’s just that good.”
You can listen to the full audio of Krukow on Murph & Mac below: