"Let's take a look. I got this one, I got it, this is mine, I got it... clank!"
Narrating magic moments in the ballpark, Mike Krukow and Duane Kuiper have brought smiles to San Francisco fans for decades. The former ballplayers add perspective and a whole lot of fun to the games. When Mike is not broadcasting from Oracle Park, he calls Reno home.
His home with his wife of 44 years is filled with memories as a father, grandfather, pitching for the Cubs, Phillies and Giants, and, of course, his nearly 30-years on-air. Krukow retired in 1990, but he never actually left the ballpark.
"So I got back into the game and I was blessed with a second career in baseball; I hit the jackpot twice. I don't buy lottery tickets because I've already hit it twice." Now he’s sharing the wealth with kids.
After getting involved with Buster and Kristen Posey's campaign to fund pediatric cancer research, Mike and his wife Jennifer expanded their efforts here in Reno with the Northern Nevada Children’s Cancer Foundation. "We've been doing a dinner to raise some money for all these kids and we're going to do another one Wednesday night which is going to be so much fun." Complete with autographed paintings, gear, even custom gold ribbon-shaped guitars - marked by players on the Giants, Dodgers and musicians.
Along with raising money on their behalf, the Krukows really get to know the kids' stories; from treatment to remission. “Here comes that child with no hair, but a big smile and that child gets to ring the big bell. That’s really what life's about."
Whether he's painting a picture on the diamond or off the microphone here at home, the broadcasting legend recognizes a responsibility to use his voice as a way to offer hope to those who need it most. “It's about helping and who better than the children?"
Tickets are still available to the dinner hosted by the Mike and Jennifer Krukow. Doors open at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, August 21st. Tickets are $750. For event location and purchasing information, log on to https://www.nvchildrenscancer.org/.
