On Wednesday, news broke that former Oakland A’s announcer Glen Kuiper would return to an MLB booth for the first time since his 2023 firing, calling spring training games for the San Francisco Giants.
It turns out that’s not all Kuiper will be doing with the Giants in the 2026 Major League Baseball season.
According to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle, Kuiper is expected to call 10-15 Giants games during the regular season. That decision came after the franchise had “definite conversations” around bringing the announcer in following his controversial 2023 exit.
“The Giants are committed to inclusion, respect, and earning our fans’ trust,” Rachel Heit, the Giants’ chief marketing officer, told the Chronicle. “We had numerous conversations about the requirements for excellence we expect from our broadcasters. Glen’s addition to the broadcast team is reflective of how he’s approached his growth and what he’s demonstrated from an accountability perspective.”
In May 2023, during an Athletics game in Kansas City, Kuiper misspoke and accidentally used a racial slur when referring to the Negro League Museum. He apologized later in the broadcast. After first being suspended, he was later relieved of his duties as the A’s television announcer.
“We believe Glen took full responsibility,” said Heit.
Glen joins his brother, Duane, the Giants’ longtime play-by-play announcer, as well as their older brother Jeff, who has worked on the team’s TV production since 1987. He has also been hosting his own podcast and YouTube show, where he focuses on the Giants.
Joe Ritzo, the fill-in radio play-by-play voice, will also call some TV games, and former Giants starter Shawn Estes will return for 10-15 games this season.
The San Francisco Giants have the most stacked broadcast team in all of baseball, both on television and radio. They ranked in the top spot in the 2025 Awful Announcing MLB radio rankings, with Jon Miller and Dave Fleming handling most of the play-by-play duties, and third on the TV side with Kuiper and Mike Krukow.
The Giants might be cool with Kuiper’s apology and atonement, but he’ll have to face MLB audiences as well. We’ll see if he addresses any concerns head-on in his first appearance and what kind of reception he receives.
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.