When Mike Krukow announced he would retire from the San Francisco Giants broadcast booth at the end of the season, it raised a big question for fans: Who should replace him in the booth? Well, the fans made it clear that “Kruk” could never be replaced, but they did have opinions on who should follow him.
The Chronicle asked readers who they wanted to take over, and Hunter Pence emerged as the top choice. The former Giants outfielder has already spent time in the booth and drew support from readers who said his personality could fill the void left by Krukow.
“Hunter Pence is the natural choice,” one reader wrote. “Fan favorite, lots of baseball knowledge and has the goofy side we love in Kruk.”
- Related:Mike Krukow opens up about life in and after baseball – and the first time he met Duane Kuiper
- Read more:Why Mike Krukow looks back at 100-loss 1985 Giants and feels good about Tony Vitello’s team
- Also:Giants announcer Duane Kuiper divulges he’s being treated for throat cancer
Javier Lopez was the next most popular response, with several fans pointing to the former Giants reliever’s pitching insight and natural on-air presence.
“There is one person who would replace Krukow with the same sort of humor, knowledge of the game, and raw intelligence,” another reader wrote. “The person is Javier Lopez. Javy has the natural talent to be Kuiper’s sidekick.”
Dave Flemming, Shawn Estes and F.P. Santangelo were also frequently mentioned as possible successors.
“Shawn Estes has been the best fill-in/sub as analyst/commentator on the broadcasts – like Kruk he is a pitcher and is certainly not shy about sharing his thoughts,” a reader wrote.
While no one can truly replace Krukow after 37 seasons, Giants fans have strong feelings on who should try.
Read through the responses to our survey below, and join the conversation.
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This article originally published at Who should follow Mike Krukow in the announcers booth? S.F. Giants fans have a favorite.