Mike Krukow owes SF Giants career to great Phillies pitcher who just passed away

The baseball world got some sad news on Monday as it was announced former SF Giants pitcher Al Holland passed away at the age of 73. He was with San Francisco from 1979 to 1982 and was part of a huge trade back in 1982 that has really only gotten better over the years. 

Holland and Joe Morgan, who was basically at the end of his career at that point, were dealt to the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for Mike Krukow, Mark Davis, and C.L. Penigar. It may not have seemed like a trade that would have ramifications for decades, but it turned out to give the Giants a beloved broadcaster for years and years.

If that trade doesn’t happen maybe Krukow never joins the Giants, is never teammates with Duane Kuiper, and the history of the franchise is forever altered. That’s a very dark reality to think about though so let’s not spend too much time imagining that alternate timeline. A world in which Kruk and Kuip never meet for Giants fans is almost on the same level as a world in which John Lennon and Paul McCartney never met.

Al Holland was part of interesting trade tree for Giants

Holland was a great player in his own right. In his four seasons with San Francisco, he had a 2.56 ERA in 319 and 2/3 innings pitched. He was great with the Phillies as well and was even an All-Star in 1984 so Philadelphia had to have been happy it swung that trade.

Holland ended his career having pitched in 10 big league seasons and finished with a 2.98 career ERA. The Giants sure could use a solid reliever like him in their current bullpen given how few reliable arms they have.

The Giants couldn’t have foreseen just how important a trade it would be for them though. Even if you take the beloved broadcaster part out of it, they got a solid pitcher in Krukow from 1983 to 1989. He was an All-Star in 1986 and was an important part of some of those good teams in the late 1980s.

Mark Davis had some good years with San Francisco as well before he was dealt to the San Diego Padres in 1987 in a trade that brought back Dave Dravecky and Kevin Mitchell and was huge in setting up some of those great seasons.

Trade trees are fascinating to look at. Rarely does a trade bring back a solid pitcher who becomes a huge part of the franchise for decades but that’s exactly what that Holland trade did.

Holland had a great career and had some very good seasons for the Giants so we at Around the Foghorn send our best to his loved ones. 

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