The San Francisco Giants have reportedly agreed to terms with outfielder Jung Hoo Lee on a six-year, $113 million contract, which is the largest deal given to an Asian-born hitter arriving in Major League Baseball. Lee was a star in the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) who hit over .300 in every season in the league. Whether or not this deal constitutes a large move though could determine the future of NBC Sports Bay Area broadcaster Mike Krukow’s scheduled morning appearance on KNBR program Murph & Markus. Duane Kuiper is certainly curious about the answer to that question.
“By the way, my question was [that] I heard what Mike said about, ‘If the Giants don’t get somebody significant that he’s going to quit,’” Duane Kuiper said. “I wonder if this qualifies.”
Last week before Shohei Ohtani agreed to terms on a deal to join the rival Los Angeles Dodgers, Krukow spoke about how vital it was for the Giants to make a splash this offseason. The team won three World Series in the 2010s, but it has since struggled to attain a deep postseason run. Within his remarks, he stated that if the team did not land some level of augmented reputation before spring training, he would eat his words and quit the show if that is what they wanted.
“Okay, well either way he ain’t quitting,” replied co-host Brian Murphy, “so he’s got no choice.”
Krukow is scheduled to join Murph & Markus tomorrow morning at 7:35 a.m. PST where the program will likely ask him about the Lee signing. Kuiper affirmed that they also need to ask him about his future on the air and whether or not this move constitutes something of merit from his perspective.
“I heard what he said,” Kuiper explained. “He said he was going to quit. I don’t think he’s going to quit being a broadcaster, but I think he was saying he was going to quit your show, so does Jung Hoo Lee [count]; does that eliminate what Mike was talking about?”
Duane Kuiper desires to know the answer to this question, as he foresees himself appearing more on the show if Krukow decides to walk away. Lee is projected to slot into the Giants’ starting lineup as the team’s center fielder when the season begins, although a decision still needs to officially be made by the organization and new manager Bob Melvin.
“I was going to say for the sake of the morning show, I’m calling him a superstar Kuip,” co-host Markus Boucher said of Lee. “I’m calling him a superstar.”
