Duane Kuiper---1983
Based on the amount of power
Duane Kuiper generated during his
lengthy career as a stellar defensive
second baseman, it would not be
preposterous to suggest that the
Ohio native used a broken bat more
than often than not.
A first-round pick in the January
phase of the 1972 draft, Kuiper made
his big league debut two years later
with the Cleveland Indians. He
proceeded to step up to the plate
1,381 times before going deep for
the first—and only—time in his
career, on August 29, 1977. Batting
second that day for the Tribe against
the Chicago White Sox, Kuiper took
pitcher Steve Stone over the fence in
the bottom half of the first inning at
Cleveland Municipal Stadium. He
batted another 1,997 times prior to
being released by the San Francisco
Giants midway through the 1985
campaign, yet never left the yard
again.
A major league announcer for the
past 24 years and the current play-
by-play television voice of the Giants,
Kuiper is not shy about bringing up
his power production—or lack
thereof—on the airwaves. “I always
say that one is better than none,”
Kuiper said a few years ago during a
trip to Atlanta. “When you do it more
than once, that’s when people start
expecting it.”
(10/10/08)
Duane Kuiper generated during his
lengthy career as a stellar defensive
second baseman, it would not be
preposterous to suggest that the
Ohio native used a broken bat more
than often than not.
A first-round pick in the January
phase of the 1972 draft, Kuiper made
his big league debut two years later
with the Cleveland Indians. He
proceeded to step up to the plate
1,381 times before going deep for
the first—and only—time in his
career, on August 29, 1977. Batting
second that day for the Tribe against
the Chicago White Sox, Kuiper took
pitcher Steve Stone over the fence in
the bottom half of the first inning at
Cleveland Municipal Stadium. He
batted another 1,997 times prior to
being released by the San Francisco
Giants midway through the 1985
campaign, yet never left the yard
again.
A major league announcer for the
past 24 years and the current play-
by-play television voice of the Giants,
Kuiper is not shy about bringing up
his power production—or lack
thereof—on the airwaves. “I always
say that one is better than none,”
Kuiper said a few years ago during a
trip to Atlanta. “When you do it more
than once, that’s when people start
expecting it.”
(10/10/08)
