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Colorado Rockies: A look back at 2005 … in video game form

By Noah Yingling

Dustan Mohr of the Colorado Rockies beats tag of Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Jason Phillips to score in the second inning of 6-4 victory at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California on Tuesday, September 13, 2005. (Photo by Kirby Lee/Getty Images)
Dustan Mohr of the Colorado Rockies beats tag of Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Jason Phillips to score in the second inning of 6-4 victory at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California on Tuesday, September 13, 2005. (Photo by Kirby Lee/Getty Images) /
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SAN FRANCISCO, CA – OCTOBER 31: San Francisco Giants broadcast team of Duane Kuiper (L) and Mike Krukow (R) speaks to the fans during the Giants’ victory parade and celebration on October 31, 2012 in San Francisco, California. The Giants celebrated their 2012 World Series victory over the Detroit Tigers. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – OCTOBER 31: San Francisco Giants broadcast team of Duane Kuiper (L) and Mike Krukow (R) speaks to the fans during the Giants’ victory parade and celebration on October 31, 2012 in San Francisco, California. The Giants celebrated their 2012 World Series victory over the Detroit Tigers. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

One of my favorite things about the game is the commentary. It is done by Giants TV broadcasters (then and still) Duane Kuiper and Mike Krukow. Both are former players and, actually, Kuiper was one of the four original Rockies broadcasters in 1993 when he was the Rockies’ original TV color commentator and secondary play-by-play man with the late Charlie Jones (Wayne Hagin and Jeff Kingery were on radio).

Kuiper was with the Giants before he came to Denver but that was because the Giants were going to relocate Tampa after the 1992 season and he thought that he was out of a job in San Francisco. Therefore, he and some of the other Giants broadcasters took jobs elsewhere entering 1993. Kuiper returned to the Giants in 1994 and has been there since.

Kuiper and Krukow were teammates with the Giants and their chemistry shows. In fact, they have been ranked by fans on Awful Announcing as no worse than the second-best MLB TV broadcast booth in the past six or so years (and, mind you, Vin Scully was broadcasting for some of those).

In the game, some of the things that are said are things that make you laugh. Most are from Krukow. For example, when you miss a pitch that was hanging, Krukow will say this.

"“Oh, partner, that ball was fatter than a Thanksgiving turkey but apparently the batter was full because he did not take advantage of it.”"

Or he may say this for the same situation:

"“That ball was FAT! But he came up empty.”"

Sometimes, he’ll say this for the same situation:

"“You don’t get too many chances like that, big boy!” (and his voice cracks when he says “boy”)"

Or when you miss hitting a good pitch:

"“The pitcher said ‘COME AND GET IT, BIG BOY!’ but the batter could not find that [name of the pitch].”"

When a pitcher gets a big strikeout:

"“GRAB SOME PINE, MEAT!”"

Some of the comments are hilarious because they are wrong.

"(Pitcher throws first pitch of the game and misses, allows one or two batters to reach): “This guy is out there with NONE (sic) stuff.”"

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