San Francisco Giants Broadcaster Mike Krukow Rips Golden At-Bat Rule Idea

San Francisco Giants former right-handed starting pitcher and current television broadcast color analyst Mike Krukow blasted the proposed 'Golden At-Bat' rule change that has made headlines this week.

The rule would allow teams to select any player once a game to go to the plate and take the next at-bat no matter where the team is in the lineup. Receiving mixed — but mostly negative — reaction, the idea first started to be heard of when MLB commissioner Rob Manfred brought it up during a podcast appearance and became a topic again this week after a story from The Athletic weighing the pros and cons of the possibility was released.

Krukow hopped on KNBR-AM/FM’s “Murph and Markus” morning show this week and when he was asked about it by the hosts, he let it be known that he is not for it at all.

“We’re seriously not going to talk about the ‘Golden Bat,’ are we?” Krukow groaned. "Five years from now, we’ll be playing slow-pitch softball. That’s where we’re heading...Baseball is such a beautiful game. Why are you messing with it?...I just think it’s absurd."

While the Golden At-Bat is probably unlikely to actually be implemented, it's such a radical proposal that it warrants discussion. Rule changes that have been implemented previously such as the pitch clock saw resistance at first, but ultimately have been fairly widely accepted as a good thing for the game and have not drastically changed the way it's played. The Golden At-Bat however would dramatically change how outcomes are determined.

Krukow spent seven years in San Francisco's rotation to finish off his career and his 1986 season for the Giants was the best of his career. It was the only All-Star appearance of his 14-year MLB career and he had a 20-9 record with a 3.05 ERA, finishing third in National League Cy Young voting.

A part of the National League pennant winning 1989 team, Krukow also helped lead the Giants deep into the playoffs in 1987 when they lost the NLCS in seven games to the St. Louis Cardinals.

The 1987 campaign was the first time San Francisco had made the postseason in 15 years.

After his playing career ended, Krukow began his broadcasting career as an occasional analyst for KNBR radio in 1990 and made the full-time transition into broadcasting in 1994. He now serves as the color commentator for Duane Kuiper on NBC Sports Bay Area.