San Francisco Giants broadcaster Mike Krukow suffering from muscle disease

By Bryan Rose | Jul 22, 2014

Sept 22, 2012; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco Giants third baseman Pablo Sandoval (left) celebrates with tv announcer Mike Krukow (right) inside the clubhouse after defeating the San Diego Padres 8-4 to clinch the NL West title at AT&T Park. Mandatory Credit: Ben Margot/Pool Photo via USA TODAY Sports /

After spending 14-years playing Major League Baseball, Mike Krukow decided to test his hand at broadcasting. It’s pretty rare that a player can be named an All-Star and win 20 games in a season but be best known for his broadcast work, but that’s Mike Krukow who has become beloved across baseball circles.

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Some feel Kruk, who’s best known for his phrases like ‘grab some pine, meat’, can be a bit of a San Francisco Giants loyalist, especially those who follow National League West teams. But Krukow, who played for the Philadelphia Phillies and Chicago Cubs in addition to the Giants is a popular figure wherever he goes.

But the 62-year-old broadcaster has missed more games than usual this season and finally revealed that he is suffering from degenerative muscle disease called inclusion-body myositis as told by SFGate.com.

"IBM causes progressive weakness in the muscles of the wrist and fingers, the front of the thigh, and the muscles that lift the front of the foot. There’s no cure and no solid theory for what causes it."

Mike Krukow’s wife, Jennifer, says the low point came earlier this season when he fell getting off the team bus and tore his rotator cuff. At that point he realized he needed to come clean after being diagnosed over eight years ago.

"She and their five children urged Krukow to join a support group – or at least to tell people about his condition.“He said, ‘Do people ask about what’s wrong?’ ” Jennifer said. “I said, ‘Mike, they ask me all the time.’ He didn’t want anyone to know.”"

Thankfully, as mentioned above, the condition is not life-threatening though it may cut short a wonderful broadcasting career which has seen the former player become a seven-time Emmy award winner.