WATCH: Brandon Belt shares appreciation for Kruk & Kuip on SF Giants broadcast
During the SF Giants game against Atlanta on Wednesday, injured first baseman Brandon Belt joined Mike Krukow and Duane Kuiper on the NBC Sports Bay Area broadcast for the third inning. Belt took some time during his appearance to express his gratitude to the legendary broadcast duo.
Belt took a moment from talking about the game action in the top of the third inning. "Y'all are the best in the business," Belt said to Kruk & Kuip. "I really mean that. So if I don't get to play in front of y'all again, it's been an honor. I've really enjoyed it. Y'all have the best calls in the game. I've heard everybody and y'all are awesome and y'all do it the best. I know y'all know this, but I wanted to get that out there."
You can watch the full clip here:
Belt underwent season-ending knee surgery earlier this month in hopes of clearing up a nagging injury. He underwent the same procedure back in 2015 and was able to bounce back well. However, now 34, it is far from a guarantee that Belt will be able to return to form.
Belt was one of the best hitters in MLB last season, blasting a career-high 29 homers alongside an exceptional .274/.378/.597 triple-slash in 97 games. This year, though, Belt was clearly limited by his knee injury. He finished the season with eight home runs and a below-average .213/.326/.350 line.
While it seemed possible that Belt's career could be over following his latest surgery, the Texas alum sounded incredibly optimistic about his chances of returning to the field next season. At one point during the broadcast, Belt said, “I know I have a lot left in me and that’s what I want to show everybody,”
An impending free agent, Belt was asked about the prospect of returning to San Francisco and reiterated that he would love to be back in an SF Giants uniform. “There’s really nowhere else I want to play," Belt said. "We’ll see what happens. It’s a business, you know, stuff happens. I don’t know what’s going to happen. All I know is I’m going to get as strong as I can and get ready to play baseball next year.”
