San Francisco Giants play by play announcers and brothers Glen Kuiper (left) and Duane Kuiper (right). Glen returns to the Giants booth after being fired by the Oakland A’s for using the N word on live TV. (San Francisco Chronicle photo)

By Stephen Ruderman

There will be some slight changes to the Giants’ broadcasting apparatus this season with former A’s TV voice and Giants’ Fox Sports Net sideline reporter Glen Kuiper set to assist San Jose Giants Voice Joe Ritzo with fill-in play-by-play duties on KNBR, and former pitcher Shawn Estes set to rejoin the lineup of Mike Krukow’s fill-ins on the TV side for road games.

Glen—like his eldest brother, Duane—went from playing to broadcasting. Glen, the youngest of the three Kuiper brothers, got his start as a sideline reporter for Giants’ telecasts, a role he would stay in through 2003.

Glen split the A’s TV play-by-play duties with former legendary Giants’ play-by-play master, Hank Greenwald, in 2004 and 2005, and then took on the fulltime role in 2006. Glen was paired up with Duane’s former Cleveland Indians’ teammate, the late-great Ray Fosse, through 2021. Glen was then paired with former A’s pitcher, Dallas Braden for the 2022 and 2023 seasons.

Glen’s time with the A’s came to an abrupt end after a visit to the Negro League Museum in Kansas City, Missouri on May 5, 2023. Later that evening, during the open for the A’s telecast at their game against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium, Glen inadvertently uttered a racial epithet when describing his experience that day.

Despite showing remorse and taking responsibility for the incident, upon realizing what he had done, the A’s fired Glen. The youngest Kuiper has since hosted ‘The Glen Kuiper Show’ on social media. He has also teamed up with Duane for Friday-night gatherings at the Gotham Club, inside the 24-for–high Willie Mays Wall in right field at Oracle Park.

In addition to being Duane’s youngest brother, Glen is also the younger brother of longtime Giants’ TV producer, Jeff Kuiper.

Estes has mainly been an analyst for Giants’ Pregame and Postgame Live on NBC Sports Bay Area. Javier Lopez and Hunter Pence have split the fill-in color commentator role for Mike Krukow while the Giants have been on the road. Lopez will dedicate more time to his new front office role with the Giants. As a result, Estes will return to the Giants’ broadcast booth.