Congratulations Duane Kuiper: A New Grandson and a Perfect Ending to a Giants Night
SAN FRANCISCO — When the final pitch of the San Francisco Giants’ game crossed the plate, the broadcast booth had barely settled before Duane Kuiper received the sweetest call of his life. His newest grandchild—Jamie—had arrived, timed as perfectly as any walk-off homer Kuiper ever called in his decades as the Giants’ beloved voice.
For Kuiper, 74, the moment fused the two worlds he cherishes most: baseball and family. Known for his calm humor and steady presence alongside broadcast partner Mike Krukow, Kuiper has narrated countless dramatic finishes. But this night delivered a storyline even he couldn’t script. Just as he wrapped up his postgame analysis, his phone buzzed. On the other end came the words every grandfather longs to hear: a healthy baby boy, born moments after the Giants sealed their win.
Kuiper’s daughter and son-in-law shared the news with a playful twist, calling their new arrival “our last string bean.” In a heartfelt message, they wrote: “Parenting is the best thing that ever ruined my life, and I say that with the most gratitude and in the most heart-bursting way. Jamie is named after Zack’s dad, James, and my mom, Michelle, who we wish so badly could be here right now.”
The family’s words echo the warmth Giants fans have always felt from Kuiper’s own broadcasts. He has made a career of noticing the human details behind the game—the quiet concentration of a pitcher, the subtle celebration of a rookie’s first hit—and now those same tender instincts frame his entrance into a new chapter as a grandfather once again.
Longtime colleagues were quick to share their joy. Krukow, his on-air partner for nearly 30 years, quipped during the postgame wrap-up, “This might be the best final pitch Kuip’s ever called. You can’t beat a baby’s timing.” Social media lit up with congratulations, as fans who grew up with Kuiper’s voice celebrated the family milestone like a walk-off win.
This is not Kuiper’s first taste of grandparenthood—he already cherishes time with his granddaughters Andy and Kit—but the arrival of Jamie carries a special resonance. It comes after Kuiper’s own journey through health challenges, including a public battle with illness that kept him away from the booth for stretches of the 2021 season. His triumphant return to full-time broadcasting in 2025 was itself a victory. Now, with another grandchild to hold, the triumph feels even deeper.
The timing was almost poetic: the final pitch, the last echo of the crowd, and then the birth of a child who carries family names forward. In a sport defined by generations—fathers and mothers passing the game down to their children—this moment felt like baseball itself smiling back.
When asked by team reporters for a comment, Kuiper simply said, “It’s the best win of the year.” No need for a long call. Just the quiet confidence of a man who knows that some victories can’t be measured by box scores.
For Giants fans, and for anyone who’s followed Kuiper’s steady voice through the highs and lows of the long baseball seasons, the night was a reminder of why the game matters: it connects us to family, to memory, and to the small, perfect moments that arrive when you least expect them.
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