Giants broadcaster Mike Krukow joined Murph and Mac Tuesday morning to talk Giants spring training. Among other things, Krukow spoke about whether the Giants front office is concerned with Johnny Cueto’s continued absence from training camp.
“I don’t think they are worried about it at all. Latin players are different from players in the states, in that they’ve got great weather to play baseball 12 months a year. Where Cueto is, he has access to go to the Giants school in the Dominican, so he’s throwing off a mound. ” Cueto has not been with the team at camp in Scottsdale due to the right-hander still finalizing the details for bringing his 71-year-old father, who has been ill, to Arizona with him. Cueto is currently working on acquiring a passport and visa for his father.
Krukow also discussed whether rivalries play a factor for the players in spring training. “It’s always gonna have a little something extra on it when you play the A’s, when you play the Dodgers, when you play the Cardinals, it’s just the way it is.” The Giants fell to the A’s 5-4 yesterday, and will face the Dodgers Wednesday night.
“Guys who come up out of the minor leagues that do well are guys that have an attitude, guys that have done well in spring, guys who have done well when they’ve been in the big leagues,” Krukow said when talking about the young pitchers in camp who are angling for a big league call-up this season. “Beede is not quite there yet, but Ty Blach is. What he did last year, plus what he did down in Sacramento the last two years, I mean he’s had great years. He took down Kershaw in the last week of the season.”
Listen to the full interview below.