John Kruk

Biography: John Martin Cruk was born on February 9, 1961 in Charleston, West Virginia but was raised in Keyser, West Virginia in Mineral Country. He played baseball at Keyser High School, at Potomac State College, and then at Allegany Community College. He first played with the San Diego Padres and was drafted in 1981. He played in outposts at Walla Wallla, Reno, Beaumont, and Las Vegas before actually playing with the Padres. The outfielder was traded to the Phillies during the 1989 season, and the team used him primarily at 1st base. He played in the All-Star game during the years 1991-1993. During the 1993 All Star game, he tried to hit 98 mile-per-hour fastballs pitched from then, Arizona Diamondback ace Randy Johnson. Kruk batted .316 in the regular season and then helped bring his team to the 1993 World Series against the Blue Jays. The team lost, but Kruk batted .348. Kruk was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 1994 after a wild pick-off throw by his teammate Mitch Williams.John Martin Cruk was born on February 9, 1961 in Charleston, West Virginia but was raised in Keyser, West Virginia in Mineral Country. He played baseball at Keyser High School, at Potomac State College, and then at Allegany Community College. He first played with the San Diego Padres and was drafted in 1981. He played in outposts at Walla Wallla, Reno, Beaumont, and Las Vegas before actually playing with the Padres. The outfielder was traded to the Phillies during the 1989 season, and the team used him primarily at 1st base. He played in the All-Star game during the years 1991-1993. During the 1993 All Star game, he tried to hit 98 mile-per-hour fastballs pitched from then, Arizona Diamondback ace Randy Johnson. Kruk batted .316 in the regular season and then helped bring his team to the 1993 World Series against the Blue Jays. The team lost, but Kruk batted .348. Kruk was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 1994 after a wild pick-off throw by his teammate Mitch Williams. Weight gain and the Astroturf at the stadium made his knee problems worse. He was granted Free Agency after the 1994 season. He moved to the Chicago White Sox, playing as a designated hitter. He played rather well, but was tired of the game. In 1995 Kruk took himself out of the game by walking out of the ballpark and never played again. He finished his career with a .300 batting average and 100 home runs. He wrote a book called I Ain't a Athlete, Lady which was published in 1994. He has since worked with FOX and local telecasts in Phildelphia. He was hired by ESPN to be an analyst on Baseball Tonight. He also writes a daily column called Chewing The Fat on ESPN.com.… Expand