San Francisco Giants play-by-play man Duane Kuiper wishes baseball had something the NFL has incorporated into game broadcasts – an official in the booth.
Talking to Brian Murphy and Paulie Mac on KNBR Wednesday morning, Kuiper said having a voice that can interpret for the viewer some of the new rules implemented into MLB this season would be an immense help.
“I want a retired umpire in our booth so I can say to him after an umpire makes a call, one of these new rules calls, where I can say to him, ‘Hey! What the hell is going on down there?'” Kuiper said. “And then they would explain everything so I don’t have to. That’s what I want.”
One suggestion was that former umpire Ed Montague could be considered as that Mike Pereira-type rules analyst. Kuiper joked that Montague likely couldn’t do the job.
“I’ll bet Eddie Montague doesn’t know half the new rules to be honest with you,” he said. “He would have to prove to me that he knows them in and out.”
Giants spring training games in Arizona begin this weekend, and Kuiper and NBC Sports Bay Area will be calling their first contest of 2023 on Saturday. Kuiper said he and Mike Krukow would do the best they could to make sure they’re up to speed on new rules involving the pitch clock and defensive shifts, but asked that the audience be patient as they get going this season.
“We’re just gonna try to not make it an issue, but have everybody understand that this is all new to us too,” Kuiper said.
