Meet the Funniest Baseball Player of the '90s

Creator: IcyVert
X: / icyvert
John Kruk is a national treasure and should be preserved with maximum security...
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[@IcyVerts]

Thank you all for the love on this video! I hope you all enjoyed!

[@cravenharp5318]

I did enjoy it thanks for the video

[@thespyderwithin]

Great video! Super entertaining, informative and funny! My first visit to the channel but it definitely won't be my last!

[@WVUer21]

Alright, so let's get wasted!

[@NIN1]

John Kruk starred in an episode of Aqua Teen Hunger Force... need I say more 😂

[@travisray2934]

What season?

[@UndercoverNormie]

He did?!?! Damn I don't remember that

[@grandkek6956]

​@@travisray2934 S5 E2 "Sirens"

[@legbert123]

He tricked Carl into cutting his nipples off.

[@oddballskull1941]

Remember I threw those d cell batteries at you? I

[@colinherb7069]

My favorite Kruk moment - and I doubt anybody else remembers because it was just so random - was when they had a bunch of new food selections at the park and brought them to the booth. Kruk barely talked the entire inning becuase he was eating. This is in the middle of the game and Kruk is FEASTING. He cleaned every single sample brought to him. Full blown sandwiches, specialty hot dogs, sides, desserts, etc. Then looks directly at Jimmy Rollins who was making a guest appearances in the booth and goes "are you gonna finish that? Dont mind if i do" Pointing to some dessert. I lost it. Kruk had about 3 meals worth of food in that half inning and pulled the classic fat kid at the lunch table maneuver. Something you will probably never see on air st the MLB level again.

[@MichaelLabriola-f8s]

Reminds me of Phil Rizzuto complaining Bill white ate all his cannolis!😅😅😅😅😅😅

[@savage751]

At least 3-4 times a game I genuinely laugh. It could be 1-1 bottom of the 9th, bases loaded and 2 outs and he starts talking about sandwiches or something lol

[@PaladinLarec]

I remember ESPN sending him to pats and genos to eat cheesesteaks in philly and give his review, and he shoved both in his mouth, was going to town on them, and the announcer said " John, you need to clean your palate in between sandwhiches to get a proper taste" and he got this mad look on him and barked back "Nobody in philly cleans their palate"

[@tpgorman15]

Definitely remember this. When Kruk is eating in the booth it is a guarantee gem. The only thing that comes close is in July or August when they do the Phillies Alumni day and they cycle all the Phillies greats in the booth every half inning. He has to catch himself from cursing or telling an inappropriate story almost every inning. Except the innings when food is involved 😂

[@quinnessel1825]

lmao I remember this very well.

[@Neotenico]

If you didn't know anything about Philly sports and tuned into a game, you'd think Kruk was some random guy they pulled out of the 400's to fill in on the mic and told to try and keep it PG. He's about as endearing to Philly fans as a man can get.

[@OhioStateBuckeyefanstuckinMI]

The John Daly of baseball 😂

[@NovocaineTV]

John Daly got that Babe Ruth gene for sure.

[@daBEAGLE1017]

Great comparison

[@Redmenace96]

perfect

[@laurieharper1526]

Spot on

[@nbarealtalker]

I was thinking the exact same thing but figured somebody beat me to it 😂

[@leon_ekim]

Kruk is a national treasure and we're lucky to have him

[@gliiitched]

I feel truly blessed to have this man for an announcer for the Phillies

[@jasonfullerton7763]

Truly blessed is when he's in the booth with Schmitty on home Sundays.

[@alexandriaocasio-smollett5078]

I love John Kruk. As a baseball player and as a human being. Such a great dude. He is the single biggest factor of me becoming a baseball fan. Here’s why.. I was a seventh grade kid in Philly when he played for the Phillies in that 93 season with Lenny Dykstra, Darren Daulton, Mitch Williams, Curt Schilling, Dave Hollins, Mariano Duncan, Pete Incaviglia, etc. They sucked for the 10 years before that season. They sucked for the 10 years after that season. It was like an oasis in the desert that was Phillies baseball for 25 years. It was SUCH a fun season. During the season we found out my mom had cancer. So having that incredible season helped the mood a bit. Following the season, Kruk found out he had testicular cancer. So one day my dad and I were sitting in the hospital waiting room/lounge area and who do I see come walking down the hallway in the hospital? John Kruk! My jaw hit the floor. I made eye contact with him. But my dad patted my leg telling me to calm down and not make a fuss because its inappropriate at that point bc he was there for what turned out to be treatment/testing too. John saw the interaction and walked over and introduced himself. It was incredible. One of those moments I’ll never forget.

[@byff2323]

You missed the story of the 1990 game vs the Dodgers when they scored 9 runs in the 9th. Kruk realized they were going to miss room service at the hotel and all the other restaurants would be closed, so they just decided they might as well just "win" that game. I remember watching it, turning the channel to Tales from the Crypt during the 8th, and then being shocked that the game was tied. I ended up seeing them take the lead and then close it out. A great night.

[@ripharambe4796]

i love fat baseball players

[@charles-y2z6c]

I hope you are a woman, and born that way 🤪

[@ihatejschlatt]

pablo sandoval is a top 5 chunker of all time fs

[@chrism.1749]

@@ihatejschlatt With the Giants at least. Red Sox fans hated him

[@tedmccauley9319]

Not if they are on second base and the game is tied…….

[@nnoh7363]

DItto! David Wells was my favorite.

[@lovesgucci1]

Remember the 1980 World Series reunion in 2022?! That was hysterical!! A bunch of old drunk ballplayers allowed to talk live in air was a complete disaster 😭 Not having Kruk in the booth & having to listen to RAJ (I switch to radio) makes me appreciate him even more!

[@danielhughes6027]

Any time I'm watching a game and see RAJ on the broadcast, the instant he opens his mouth i cant help myself saying oh shut the hell up 🤣

[@jimtownsend7899]

Oh, hell yeah! That was epic! And even with the 7-second delay, the stuff that was coming out of Rose's mouth and still getting on the air was hilarious! And I take a page out of my son's book from time to time and listen to the game. Franzke and LA are a perfect team. And this coming from a guy who remembers listening to Bill Campbell and By Saam!

[@blakesmith2101]

Went to a Colorado Rockies/Philadelphia Phillies game back in the early 90's in Denver during the Rockies first season. Every time Kruk hit a home run in mile high stadium he had to go sit on the bench and put on an oxygen mask . If I remember it right he hit 4 HRs that game. Phillies won the world series later that year.

[@jackblasbalg7936]

he hit 2. and the phillies lost in 6 to the blue jays.

[@SJK-uc6lf]

That was the game he wrestled a grizzly bear that made it's way into the stadium. The bear didn't have a ticket so he had no choice but drag it to the parking lot.

[@facerip2222]

These young whippersnappers don't know about the legend of Ol' Johnny Kruk. Could swing an oak tree just as easily as swingin' a bat I tell ya!

[@Nmcg-ye7xl]

For every awesome Kruk game, we have to sit through a game with Reuben Amaro Jr.

[@savage751]

Omg I know right....I work at a bar and when there a phils game on I usually turn the jukebox off but if that boring beige piece of cardboard is on I'll leave the jukebox on lol

[@jimtownsend7899]

Rube can't help that he's as dry as a 70 year old hooker. It could be worse - They could put Barkan in there!

[@daBEAGLE1017]

That quote about "cancer" and "hemorrhoids" was hilarious.

[@casedismissed8581]

'I aint an athlete i'm a baseball player " truer words were never spoken !!!

[@Slim_Ch4rles]

He is our city's spirit animal and our prophet, Krukstradamus

[@Rock33b]

I love John Kruk I’m a fan of players not necessarily teams or a team I used to be a team fan but the older I have gotten I have learned to appreciate guys like kruk no matter what team they play for because who cares who they play for they make baseball more fun

[@Dirgnimai7]

Life-long devoted Giants fan here since '89, and yet, I LOVED Kruk. Loved his game and his humor. His Letterman appearances were classic and always hilarious. I'm so glad that he's in the booth in Philadelphia. He's a perfect fit there. Thanks for this great video!

[@Soma2710]

Reminds me of Ron Santo. There’s a “best of Ron and Pat Hughes” where he gets fed up with Pat being wishy-washy and not being able to commit to what his favorite kind of cake is. He was a lovely man, and a lot of tears were shed when he passed.

[@arielrichmond1238]

The best part about these guys is that they can laugh at themselves... it makes them human... he was fun to watch when I was a kid, but that allstar game against the big unit... I'll never forget him just bowing, tossing the helmet and Randy just cracking up

[@967evil]

His stint on Sunday Night Baseball was amazing. The light that burns twice as bright burns half as long.

[@kennayres6132]

I was in my early 20's during that '91 - '94 Phillies team and I luved all these guys...Inky, Eisenriech, Dutch, the Dude, and the Krucker was absolutely a fan fav....thanks for bringing back some GREAT memories my friend.

[@gdn86]

John Kruk was my favorite player as a kid, and makes Phillies broadcasts so much better. Hope he sticks around for a long time in the booth.

[@enddhabzen9278]

Lets also not forget Carl from aqua teen hunger force hit Kruk in the head with a battery at the meadowlands

[@lukedriscoll7184]

That episode has one of my favorite insults from the entire show. “You're so stupid! That’s for hitting me with a battery at Shea, you asshole!”

[@ibrown3KC]

I can't believe Kruky only had 100 dingers. I would have guessed closer to 300.

[@gamemeister27]

Yeah, entering this video with no clue about Kruk other than the thumbnail, I would have guessed he was a power guy, not someone with a BA over .300 that lived on the bases

[@llhean3753]

4 views in 1 minute, bro is on the come up

[@wildcat8598]

As a kid growing up in the 80’s & 90’s I always liked Kruk and all baseball players, fans, lovers felt for him when we found out about his cancer diagnosis. Obviously he’s probably one of the most fun commentators ever and I hope he’s around for many more years to gift us with his gems of wisdom with laughter😂👍

[@writerconsidered]

Babe Ruth wasn't an athlete either he was a baseball player.

[@MichaelLabriola-f8s]

Im jealous of Philly fans for being able to listen to Kruk.

[@EdwinMaturski-cc9is]

Krukie... A true legend of the game... Rest in peace Dutch Daulton

[@profssrchaos19]

yeah no, that first 30 seconds pretty much sums up Kruk in all his glory... and we love him for it. I'm blessed to have been a kid in the 90's that got to grow up an hour away from the ball park watching him play

[@EnriqueReyes]

Another dude in the booth Mark "Mud" Grant with San Diego 😁

[@Stussmeister]

Ah, yes. As someone whose home baseball team is the Phillies, I remember when Kruk was part of the "Whiz Kids" of '93, a group that included players such as Daulton, Dykstra, Morandini, and Incaviglia. I also recall my parents having a copy of his book "I Ain't an Athlete, Lady", and these days, I can always count on him making my parents laugh when he's in the broadcast booth.

[@xtlm]

That 93' Phillies team was literally nothing BUT characters lol Glad Kruk is our announcer and I am extra glad they just let him do his thing

[@Gaambit]

I remember the beginning of last season and Kruk’s ongoing quest with his pens: where they were, how many he had, what color they were, accusing people of taking them. Listening to away games (or national broadcast games) is always rough without him on them.

[@lorimeyers3839]

I heard Kruk’s story about the winter ball inmate during the game live. I laughed out loud. Shit was great. TMac did start to lose it and was laughing. By the way, Kirk did actually go to the arches, but coincidentally it was closed for some unanticipated reason. At that point he said he’d never go back. Lol

[@razzleland]

Good to see newer generations enjoying the "older" days of baseball. Kruk was always fun to watch play. Now you've turned on someone a "few" years older onto him as an announcer. Thank you for that. You gotta have humor in the booth. Thank you Bob Uecker!!!! I grew up listening to Skip Carey tell crazy stories on Braves games... with Pete Van Wieren working in the play by play when he could. Well done.

[@cracklecracklebaybay5612]

Kruk on The Best Damn Sports Show was gold too.

[@bengoodwin465]

I think the best part about Kruk is that he's just a guy. He's like someone you jaw with while watching a game at a barbecue and it's great. Baseball is a great sport to watch with other people and have a good time and Kruk just feels like he's another guy you're just having a good time with. Him and Larry Anderson on the radio carry Phillies broadcasts honestly.

[@stansbruv3169]

God that Phillies turf looked so painful. It’s better suited as a parking lot than as a playing field.

[@HunkDrangus]

Green carpet over cement *chef's kiss*

[@scarpfish]

Probably my favorite Kruk story was when Mitch Williams came over from the Cubs and Williams wanted the #28 jersey Kruk was then sporting and was willing to compensate him for it. He explained, "Rickey Henderson paid a guy $25,000. I got two cases of beer."

[@shredead]

This guy spent the first half of his career being the real life Kenny Powers and the second half as Pepper Brooks in Dodgeball

[@McDuffin]

Kruk was one of my favorite players and I’m so glad he is part of the Phillies booth. My kids are even disappointed when it’s Ben or Ruben instead.

[@Timmer258]

I love when Kruker is in the booth with Tom. Wish he would be in there full time. He just makes the broadcast comical with his sayings and stories.

[@streetphilosophy1902]

Thanks for posting. Kruk is the man! Appreciate you.

[@davefig5774]

Can we talk about the pine tar buildup on his batting helmet. I remember those early 90s seasons. Some of the best summers

[@UncleBubba13]

Thanks for this. I watched Kruk come into The Show and leave it. He was something special, in ability and temperament. "Lady, I'm not a 'professional athlete', I'm a baseball player!" Marvelous.

[@stevenevert9162]

John Kruk is the original Jason Kelce type of guy in Philly. Beloved 30 years after his last season with the Phillies.

[@christianb2180]

kruk isn’t just one of the funniest mlb players but one of the best announcers in baseball

[@79ajvw]

This is absolutely great! My fun unsung is Jay Buhner. You did a fantastic job on this video and I want to thank you for it.

[@davewebbtheauthor]

Krukker is a character. Loved watching him on the field and hearing him when he's in the booth.

[@Redmenace96]

John Kruk, Harry Carey, Hawk Harrelson, Joe Garagiola.... modern MLB wants robots. MLB should think about what separates them from the NFL and what the fans want. Even today, if you put the best NFL player, the best NBA player, the best NHL player, against the finest MLB athlete....? It would only end up in tears.

[@davedronski7749]

Kruk and the shooter Rod Beck were the most unhealthy looking baseball players since the Babe and I love them for it!😂

[@JordanHowellMusic]

Watching this while watching Kruk call the phils game today ; and I have to say , your video is catching my attention more than the game (very rare this season!) as we’re like 47W 23L ? Yeah. Best in NL …yknow. Just playing as a great TEAM , defense, and not leaving men on base every fking inning, and then so many great pitchers, we had to decide on who to put In Rotation. As I type? Zach Wheeler just got 1500th strikeout. So . He always cracks me up and it shows that he is now basically on the VO crew 4/5 games a week. And even Mike Schmidt and chase it let and others have come into the booth multiple times recently. Yea Larry Anderson was a good reliever for sure , kruk though you reminded me how really consistent of a hitter he was! So. Here we are - I’m rambling. This was a great video and I’m happy to say I was 2, dad propped me up on the couch to watch the Phils in 93 World Series . But when we won in 2008 he said “Jordan; remember this with me; it probably will be the only time you ever see this in your life”. But this season and today happening to be fathers’ day, well, I’m buying my dad and I a pair of tickets just because . Love these players that actually engage so much with the fans, instead of expressionless basketball baseball players who go wherever the most money is , and especially when they come back to somewhere like KRUK- where he wasn’t even born, to work for longer in the booth than he did as a MLB player.

[@Rjd2199]

Favorite Kruker clip is his just sayin “let’s go bitch” after a ball 1 while Stubbs is hitting

[@whatsthebigfndeal]

I'm a braves fan but I lived in Philly when kruk was playing there. We was definitely a character. He used to drive a Lotus Esprit around town and everybody said he really just acted like a regular guy. I never met him but I saw him around a few times.

[@Pds-yn1hx]

That at bat against Randy Johnson was the greatest at bat in the history of baseball.

[@elbombas951]

"that's a good shot there" 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@YuriBez2023]

It's Kruk's dry sarcastic wit that I love. "... those wings were free John. F. R. E. E" - TMac "Is that how you spell that?" - Kruk.

[@josephchester6641]

As a DIEHARD Braves fan, it literally hurts my heart to say anything good about the Phillies, but John Kruk is the exception. That guy is awesome! I'm in my forties, so I remember him more for his playing days and I always thought he'd have looked better in a Braves uniform.

[@bluntone2273]

Kruk was one of those guys that made watching baseball fun.

[@MagicDJ300]

Top notch player Kruk’s numbers were off the charts 🚀

[@dougp5044]

You may think of Kruk as a silly clown but the man could play ball

[@Cavethug]

Kruk was the John Daly of baseball. The notion that you have to be a perfect physical specimen in order to be an elite athlete is so insanely wrong. Larry Bird didn't look like he was physically perfect, but he was the greatest player to ever play the game. I think what made these guys so beloved is the fact that what made them so good was how much heart they put into it.

[@DanoFSmith-yc9tg]

I guess I gotta start watching some Phillies games now lol. Guy is hilarious

[@frankangotti7281]

Thank you! loved watching him play and listening to him in the booth, the best

[@jeremy28135]

Joy Kruck reminded us all this this is still just a game. You can be a Professional and still have fun

[@uSlackr]

It is pure joy to listen to Kruk announce the game for my Phillies. We are so blessed

[@warrenholmes3311]

The thing that got me most about Krukkie, was that he traded his number for a case of beer!

[@driferdark4339]

The John Daly of baseball, a beloved figure for sure.

[@scipio7]

He was a pretty normal dude, he just had literally one in a million hand-eye coordination.

[@WhtAbtBob10]

My first memory of sports was the 1993 Phillies. John Kruk and Darren Daulton were my favorite players. They got me to fall in love with baseball.

[@toomuchdrivetothrive]

He was MLBs version of John Daly. 1200 Games ,300 BA 100 Hrs 199 2B 701 SO Those are not rounded numbers. They are his exact stats. Even his stats are quirky. The .300 BA for a ten year career shows how great he was.

[@leeball4]

If the Phanatic were a player it would be John Kruk. He is the realest of the real.

[@Edkipp712]

I was such a fan of him from his Padre days, so disappointed when he was traded but he flourished with the Phillies. I grew a goatee and a mullet for the mid-nineties and will always be a John Kruk fan.

[@christopherkimber7679]

I got to see Mr One Nut Kruk and the 93 Phillies. My grandfather took me to see them play the cardinals, more importantly, to see the Wizard, Ozzie Smith. Had no idea I was watching a World Series team at the time. But man were they something else. That team was strapped. And Kruk was the bullet. Dude is freaking awesome. Good to see him get some recognition.

[@jasonfullerton7763]

Kruk calls a game like he's the guy that just happens to have the cheap seat next to me at a game and I bought him a beer.

[@leogadget]

I was on the floor after this interaction, earlier this year. “Malachi with the call; he don't miss those,” said Kruk. “I love that name.” “It's a good name,” added McCarthy. Without missing a beat, Kruk turned to his broadcast partner and told McCarthy when they have a child together, they should name him Malachi.

[@gregbedford9706]

This as a Tiger fan, but Kruk is baseball! Baseball needs more like him. On the field and in the booth.

[@christianpoint0888]

Great job , sir! Was total fun !

[@jeffreyjensen8618]

Kruk was an icon. My buddy's user name on PGA Golf 2 was "kruksnut"

[@fbistatmajor5918]

John Kruk is basically John Daly if he played with a bat and not a golf club and that's amazing

[@oddballskull1941]

"So like i just sing..and then i get to be a siren?" Carl. Athf

[@remyhanna5826]

He’s like the baseball bill walton

[@jeffmiles1378]

Eric Davis with that slow pitch softball stance!

[@aj_aka_alan]

12:29 He and Scotty were friends. He arranged for Scotty to throw him a BP style pitch so he could leave with a hit.

[@Phillyfan9307]

Kruky still hasn't gone up in the arch.

[@yanguskhan8513]

thank goodness for that errant pickoff throw. that coulda taken this man way too soon.

[@mandospence]

I spent years listening to Jerry Remy, who was also an underrated legend.

[@andrewgibson7330]

I can't believe you never mentioned the time he showed up at a game right after cancer surgery with a shirt that said ""If they don't let me play today, I'll take my ball and go home."

[@llopnikgaharrison3136]

His on screen "relationship" with Tom Arnold on best damn sports, was just great stuff.

[@markheroman8190]

Did Kruk ever announce a game with Bob Uecker? That would have been a once in a lifetime event. Great tribute to a guy that knew how to really approach the game!

[@jironthunder7519]

When I worked for the Phillies I met Kruk and Orel Herschiser on a Sunday ESPN all day remote

[@Canucks44219]

Just FYI the time delay in the video is different than the time delay in the audio from the broadcast booth by about .5 seconds. This is to help stay on the play cause yes the broadcasters are great but they still have to visualize the play and put it into words. The .5 seconds delay differential allows the viewer a better broadcast but sometimes with immediate reaction moments it may seem they ahead of the play but it's so barely noticeable that it doesn't come off as not real cause it is real, just delayed differently.

[@johnmcdermott2551]

vin Scully was the most unbiased-home-team announcer. He had interesting and inspiring comments and antidotes about whoever was at-bat, and if you were listening on the road and missed the name you would know which team they were on. the closed he came to favoring our home team was a slightly more exuberant; Look who's coming up to bat! for Kirk Gibson's epic-career-defining at-bat. But just barely.

[@trevander1able]

I think it was the '93 all-star game where he gad that great interaction with Randy Johnson hahahaha it was so funny!!

[@garbo8962]

Enjoyed Kruk while he was a Phillips but love him in the booth.Always had a great story and cracks me up when he talks about himself.Hope his recent health issues stay under control.

[@kimchi2780]

One of the most underrated players in history.

[@jemiller226]

I'm not a Phillies fan, but Kruk is a legend for a reason. I'm glad I get to listen to Bob Walk during games, though--he brings a lot of the same kind of energy to broadcasts.

[@GD-tt6hl]

93 Phillies I would sit up behind home plate up in the 700 level and do my homework in between innings. Kruk was awesome. I'm about half way through, I hope they tell the Mich Williams number exchange story.