During his 14-season MLB career, Giants broadcaster and former pitcher Mike Krukow learned plenty from the veterans around him. Today, he's excited to see that youngsters on San Francisco's pitching staff have a chance to glean advice from one of the best ever to do it.
That much was on display in Scottsdale, Ariz., this week, in a video the Giants posted on social media which shows veteran ace Justin Verlander giving tips to young right-hander Hayden Birdsong in camp.
Really cool video from @SFGiants Tik Tok showing Justin Verlander giving advice to 23-year-old RHP Hayden Birdsong. 72.0 IP last year for San Francisco, Birdsong's a name to watch for a potential breakout in 2025. pic.twitter.com/3j8t1l9oRO
— Tobey Schulman (@tschulmanreport) February 17, 2025
Verlander, who turns 42 on Thursday, will look to defy Father Time with the Giants this season -- his 20th in the league. But in addition to what he offers San Francisco on the mound, Verlander serves as a fountain of information for young Giants arms like Birdsong, Kyle Harrison and Landen Roupp, to name a few.
"I can tell you exactly what that's like," Krukow told KNBR's "Murph & Markus" on Tuesday when asked about the video of Birdsong and Verlander. "I was fortunate enough ... when I got to the big leagues, I was with Rick Reuschel, and Rick Reuschel had a lot to do with my development. And when I came over to the [Philadelphia] Phillies in 1982 as a 30-year-old, six year veteran, I lockered next to Steve Carlton, and the conversations that we had in regards to pitching and then watching him work were so valuable to me developing as a big leaguer, as a starter.
"When you have an encyclopedia of knowledge with Verlander, who's willing -- and that's the key, not every guy is willing. If you wanted to get information from Gaylord Perry, you had to pay him five grand. When you were making $8,000, that was a big decision to make, right? So, I just think it's great that Verlander has a lot to say, and he's willing to say it. Then you have the young pitchers who can really benefit from it. They can really benefit from just a frame of mind how you start a game, how you project yourself on the mound, even before you throw a pitch, you got to have an act. You got to let that guy in the batter's box feel you. And that's so significant. ...
"For Verlander, he understands all that and the importance of it. And if you're a young pitcher, just set your glove down, sit on it and listen to what he has to say."
San Francisco Giants
Krukow also spoke of former Giants closer Rod Beck, who the broadcaster believes had the best "act" of all time. Even when Beck didn't have his best stuff, he still was feared on the mound thanks to his mindset and in-game demeanor. And Verlander, even in his 40s, remains a respected figure throughout MLB for that exact reason.
"That's what you have to learn," Krukow continued. "You have to learn that everything that you do on that mound is important. And Verlander, I mean, he's a master at it. He's not the same pitcher he was when he first came up, but he's a pitcher, and all these kids could benefit from him."
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With Verlander, Logan Webb, Robbie Ray and a treasure chest of young arms, the past, present and future of pitching certainly is covered in the Giants' clubhouse. And no one knows better than president of baseball operations Buster Posey what kind of magic a mix of veterans and youth on the field can produce.
