Sad Day: John Kruk Is Out At ESPN

(AA) — One of ESPN’s longest-tenured baseball analysts is no longer with the network. Ryan Glasspiegel of The Big Lead reports that ESPN has “mutually agreed” to end its relationship with John Kruk, who joined the company in 2004:

John Kruk and ESPN are parting ways. An ESPN spokesperson provided the following statement to The Big Lead:

“ESPN and John Kruk have mutually agreed to end our relationship at this time. We’re thankful to John for his memorable contributions to our baseball coverage over the years – a run which included roles on our signature MLB franchises Sunday Night Baseball and Baseball Tonight. We wish John all the best.”

Kruk joined the network in 2004. This season, he mainly served as a studio analyst, and he also contributed to ESPN’s Little League World Series coverage. On a brief phone call, his agent declined to comment on whether or not another broadcasting job was on the horizon.

Sad stretch for baseball fans and fans of big dudes who love the game. Yesterday we said farewell to Big Papi at his final regular season game and today we’re parting ways with John Kruk. Always been a huge, huge Kruk guy. When I was a freshman in college I remember he strolled onto set of Baseball Tonight, not wearing a jacket, eating a hot dog, and looking like the most lost dude in the history of the world. Like he walked out of the cafeteria, took a wrong turn, and accidentally found himself in the middle of a live broadcast. It was one of the most hilariously perfect things I’ve ever seen and had me running around my freshman dorm telling people to turn on their TVs. It was like USA just be Russia and I had to share that moment with everyone, it was that important to me.

From then, I never looked back and have lived my days as the biggest Kruk guy in the world. I just love the guy. I loved during the Home Run Derby in Kansas City a few years ago when they brought out ribs and Kruk didn’t speak for 15 minutes because he was too busy stuffing his face. The PMT guys love talking about football guys but John Kruk is the very definition of a baseball guy. If it was up to him he’d he on set with a chew in, eating a hot dog, and drinking a beer, all simultaneously, because that’s how the game’s supposed to be discussed.

Gonna miss this guy. One of the best.