John Kruk Shot A Deer In A Hot Tub
I know it’s a bit hard to believe but this might be the best John Kruk story that Philadelphians have ever heard. There are so many great stories from the former Phillies player turned broadcaster but this one might take the cake.
John Kruk’s Career
He played for the Philadelphia Phillies from 1989 to 1994, he was selected to three All Star teams during his time as a player here. In his 1992 season, he batted .323 for the Phillies which was the highest single-season batting average of his career. He batted over .300 in two other seasons with the team and over .290 in two other seasons.

John Kruk’s Broadcasting Career
He started his career with the San Diego Padres, then the Phillies and ended his career with the Chicago White Sox. After playing baseball, he went into coaching. According to Wasserman, “In 2001, he was a hitting coach for the Phillies’ double-A team in Reading, Pennsylvania, before transitioning to a role assisting the club with suite sales for Citizens Bank Park.”

Then the broadcasting career began, gracing our televisions with his amazing analysis. He spent 13 years with ESPN as a color commentator and studio analyst for their many programs. He also worked for Fox before joining the Philadelphia Phillies broadcast team.
Best John Kruk Story Ever
Well this is where we have the real fun. I have a podcast with my dad, ESPN’s Tim Kurkjian, who spent all 13 of John Kruk’s years at ESPN with him. I’ve known Kruk almost my entire life and nothing brought my dad more joy than being his teammate on ESPN.
My dad and I have a baseball podcast called “Is This A Great Game, Or What?” which releases every single Tuesday morning. You can listen wherever you get your podcasts including Apple Podcasts and Spotify, plus you can WATCH all our episodes on YouTube.
We recorded our most recent episode in West Virginia during Memorial Day Weekend. On top of talking about the amazing people who have served our country and made the ultimate sacrifice, we also talked about some of Tim’s best West Virginia stories!
That included John Kruk, who was born in Charleston, West Virginia, had to come up. He shared this amazing story of Kruk in a hot tub with a shotgun and a deer. Hear it after the 3 minute mark below.
You can also WATCH us tell that same story, just after 2:20 mark on the video below. If you enjoy it, make sure to follow and subscribe (for free of course).