Giants Announcer Shares Unexpected Dodgers Confession Amid NL West Race

Giants Announcer Shares Unexpected Dodgers Confession Amid NL West Race originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

Between his seven seasons pitching for the San Francisco Giants and the decades he’s spent calling their games, Mike Krukow has seen enough of the Los Angeles Dodgers to last a lifetime.

In his own lifetime, Krukow has a Dodgers-related wish—and no, it doesn’t involve their first 100-loss season since 1908.

NBC Sports Bay Area showed an intriguing graphic during Friday’s 8-7 Giants victory over the Dodgers. As it turns out, Krukow’s 1.94 home ERA is the lowest of any starting pitcher in the Dodgers-Giants rivalry since both teams moved to California in 1958.

Six-time All-Star Fernando Valenzuela ranked second on the list with a 2.07 ERA, setting the stage for Krukow’s heartwarming admission.

“I hope Fernando Valenzuela gets into the Hall of Fame someday,” Krukow said.

“We know that Clayton Kershaw’s gonna be in the Hall of Fame,” Krukow added. “[Sandy] Koufax and [Juan] Marichal, of course.”

Valenzuela, who died last October, earned 6.2% on his first Hall of Fame ballot in 2003. However, he fell off the ballot a year later; candidates need 5% to stay on the ballot, and Valenzuela only tallied 3.8%.

Valenzuela went 173-153 with 3.54 ERA and 37.3 bWAR in 17 seasons, 11 coming with the Dodgers. After throwing 17 1/2 scoreless innings in 1980, he burst onto the scene with a 2.48 ERA and eight shutouts in 1981. Valenzuela captured NL Cy Young and Rookie of the Year honors, helping the Dodgers to their first championship since 1965.

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Fernando ValenzuelaMalcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Valenzuela earned All-Star honors the next five seasons and posted four top-5 Cy Young finishes in that span. He pitched a no-hitter in 1990, his final season with the Dodgers, and played for five teams through 1997.

We’ll see if Krukow eventually gets his wish. Valenzuela could potentially enter the Hall of Fame later this year via the Contemporary Baseball Era Players Committee.

The current Dodgers hold a four-game lead over the Giants in the NL West.

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 12, 2025, where it first appeared.

Giants Announcer Shares Unexpected Dodgers Confession Amid NL West Race

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