John Kruk

John Kruk
Kruk playing in 1992
First baseman/Outfielder
Born:(1961-02-09)February 9, 1961 Charleston, West Virginia,U.S.
Batted:Left Threw:Left
MLB debut
April 7, 1986, for the San Diego Padres
Last MLB appearance
July 30, 1995, for the Chicago White Sox
MLB statistics
Batting average	.300
Home runs	100
Runs batted in	592
Teams
San Diego Padres(1986–1989) Philadelphia Phillies(1989–1994) Chicago White Sox(1995)
Career highlights and awards
3×All-Star(1991–1993) Philadelphia Phillies Wall of Fame

John Martin Kruk(born February 9, 1961) is an American formerprofessional baseballfirst basemanandoutfielder.Kruk played inMajor League Baseball(MLB) for theSan Diego Padres,Philadelphia Phillies,andChicago White Soxfrom1986through1995.During his career, he was a three-timeMLB All-Star.After retiring as a player, Kruk became a baseball analyst forESPN.He is now acolor commentatorfor Phillies' games onNBC Sports Philadelphia.

Early life

Kruk was raised inKeyser,West Virginia.He is ofPolishdescent and has three siblings.He played baseball atKeyser High School,atPotomac State College,and atAllegany Community College,where Kruk played for Junior College Hall of Fame Coach Steve Bazarnic. Kruk was the first Major Leaguer to come out of Allegany and has been followed by four others (Stan Belinda,Steve Kline,Joe Beimel,andScott Seabol).

Career

San Diego Padres

Kruk was signed as the third overall selection in the Special Draft selection on June 13, 1981.He began his professional career with theSan Diego Padresafter beingdraftedin 1981. He played in such outposts asWalla Walla,Reno,Beaumont,andLas Vegas,before making his debut with the Padres in1986.In this same year he played for theÁguilas de Mexicaliof theMexican Pacific Leaguefor the 1986–87 season. Kruk helped Mexicali win both the League championship andCaribbean Seriestitle.

Kruk's breakout year was 1987 with the Padres. He hit.313 with 20 home runs and 91 RBI, and stole 18 bases, showing surprising speed for someone of his build, although he was caught ten times. He was featured as a backup on the National League All-Star Team in theNintendogameR.B.I. Baseball.On April 13, 1987,Marvell Wynne,Tony Gwynn,and Kruk became the first players in major league history to open their half of the 1st inning with three consecutive solo home runs in a 13–6 loss to theSan Francisco Giants.

In October 1987, Kruk rented a house in San Diego with two other men: Roy Plummer, a high school friend, and Vernon (Jay) Hafer, an acquaintance of Plummer's.They socialized and partied together, with Plummer almost always picking up the check.Unbeknownst to Kruk, who moved out in November to play winter ball in Mexico, Plummer was funding the group's lifestyle by moonlighting as an armed robber, with Hafer serving as hisgetaway driver.TheFBIinformed Kruk of his roommates' criminal activities during spring training in February 1988, approaching him before batting practice with a photo of Plummer taken during a bank robbery.According to the FBI, Plummer believed that Kruk had turned him in to the police, and Kruk lived in fear of reprisal until Plummer was apprehended on September 19, 1988.Kruk has stated that the ongoing stress from the episode negatively affected his on-field performance that season.

Philadelphia Phillies

On June 2, 1989, the Padres dealt Kruk, along withRandy Ready,to thePhiladelphia PhilliesforChris James.

After the trade, Kruk blossomed into anAll-Staras the team used him primarily atfirst base.Kruk played in the All-Star Game in1991,1992,and1993.In his 1993 appearance at the Midsummer Classic, he had a memorable at bat when he flailed wildly at 98 mile per hourfastballsfromSeattle MarinerspitcherRandy Johnson.Johnson's first pitch flew over Kruk's head to the backstop, leading Kruk to feign heart palpitations and remark "That boy throws too hard and he's too wild. He could kill someone."

Kruk, who batted.316/.430/.475 in1993,was also a member of the Phillies' "Macho Row" which led the team to theWorld Seriesagainst theToronto Blue Jays;in the losing effort, Kruk batted.348/.500/.391 in the Series.

During spring training in1994,Kruk was diagnosed withtesticular cancer(ultimately resulting in the removal of one testicle) after an errant pickoff throw from teammateMitch Williamshit him in the groin and broke hisprotective cup.Additionally, weight gain and the astroturf atVeterans Stadiumexacerbated his knee problems. After the1994season, Kruk was granted free agency.

Chicago White Sox

Moving to theAmerican Leagueto serve as adesignated hitter,Kruk signed with theChicago White Soxon May 12,1995,batting.308/.399/.390 in his only season with the ballclub. In the first inning of the White Sox's 8–3 loss to theBaltimore OriolesatCamden Yardson July 30, he singled offScott Erickson,advanced to and was stranded on third base, removed himself from the game and promptly retired as an active player due to chronic knee soreness. He had made the decision two days earlier and informed his teammates on the eve of his retirement. The parting statement he issued to the media simply read, "The desire to compete at this level is gone. When that happens, it's time to go." Kruk finished his 10-year career with a.300batting average,100home runsand 592runs batted in.

Post-baseball activities

A quotable character throughout his career who had written a book calledI Ain't an Athlete, Ladypublished in1994,Kruk turned to broadcasting and commenting on the game. He has since worked forMajor League Baseball on Fox,The Best Damn Sports Show Period,and local telecasts in Philadelphia. Kruk has been a resident ofMount Laurel Township, New Jersey.

Kruk coached for a year within the Phillies organization. He coached theReading Philliesof theClass AAEastern Leagueduring the 2001 season.

Kruk had acting roles in film and television, including the 1996 filmThe Fan,The Sandlot: Heading Home,andAmerican Pastime.In a 2008 episode ofAdult Swim'sadult cartoonAqua Teen Hunger Force,Sirens,Kruk guest starred, voicing the role of himself.Kruk also appeared in theSawyer Brownmusic video "Round Here".

In2004,ESPNhired Kruk as an analyst onBaseball Tonight.He also wrote a column calledChewing the Faton ESPN.

Kruk coached the National League team in theTaco BellAll-Star Legends & Celebrity Softball GameinAnaheim, California,on July 12, 2010.

Kruk appeared inMLB on ESPNcommercials, playing himself as part of moments in baseball history; for example, an old briefcase belonging to Kruk buried in the infield dirt containing a rotten sandwich caused the bugs to attackKarl Ravechdressed up asYankeespitcherJoba Chamberlain,mocking game 2 of the2007 ALDSbetween the Yankees and the Indians. He, along withSteve PhillipsandGary Thorne,was a commentator on the video gamesMLB 2K10,MLB 2K11,MLB 2K12andMLB 2K13.

In2012,ESPN hired Kruk to be the color commentator forSunday Night BaseballalongsideDan Shulman.Also in 2012, fellow West Virginians, theDavisson Brothers Band,were approached by Kruk to write a new theme song forBaseball Tonight.In 2015, once again, Kruk, asked the Davisson Brothers Band to record a special track, titled "Right Here on ESPN", for the ESPN bumpers during the July 4 weekend.

Following the 2016 baseball season in October, Kruk and ESPN mutually agreed to part ways.In February 2017,Comcast SportsNetannounced that they hired Kruk to join the Philadelphia Phillies broadcast team, replacingMatt Stairs,who was hired as the Phillies'hitting coach.

After moving toNaples, Florida,six years prior, Kruk took over the Seacrest Country Day School softball team as the head coach in 2016.He was named the Florida Athletic Coaches Association Class 2A Coach of the Year for the district in his first year with the Stingrays.

Honors and awards

• In 2003—the final year of Veterans Stadium—Philadelphia Phillies fans voted Kruk as the first baseman on thePhillies All-Vet Team(1971–2003).
• On August 12, 2011, Kruk was inducted into thePhiladelphia Baseball Wall of Fame.

External links

• Career statistics and player information fromMLB,orESPN,orBaseball Reference,orFangraphs,orBaseball Reference (Minors),orRetrosheet
• John Krukat theSABR Baseball Biography Project
• John Krukat Baseball Almanac