Duane Kuiper

He is one of only three Major League players to accomplish this feat, the other two players being Elmer Valo (1949) and Bill Bruton (1959).

Duane Eugene Kuiper (born June 19, 1950), nicknamed "Kuip", is an American sportscaster and former professional baseball player.

As a player, he was a second baseman for the Cleveland Indians and San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball (MLB).

Kuiper was drafted by the New York Yankees out of Jerome I. Case High School in the twelfth round of the 1968 Major League Baseball Draft, but chose instead to attend Indian Hills Community College.

He was drafted by the Seattle Pilots, Chicago White Sox and Cincinnati Reds while attending Indian Hills, but did not sign with any of these clubs.

After a season at Southern Illinois University, he was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the fourth round of the 1971 June Secondary Amateur Draft, but again did not sign.

It wasn't until graduating from Southern Illinois that Kuiper finally said yes to the Cleveland Indians, who drafted him in the first round of the 1972 January Secondary Amateur Draft.

Kuiper spent three seasons in the Indians' farm system, batting .295 with six home runs and 148 runs batted in (RBIs) before receiving a September call-up in 1974.

Kuiper made his major league debut on September 9 as a late inning defensive replacement for Jack Brohamer, and grounded into a double play in his only at-bat.

However, he fared far better in his remaining plate appearances that season, collecting nine singles, two doubles, two walks and four RBIs in 24 plate appearances.

Though Kuiper spent time with the triple-A Oklahoma City 89ers in 1975, he spent most of the season in the majors, splitting time with Brohamer at second base, and batting second in manager Frank Robinson's batting order.

Following the season, the Indians dealt Brohamer to the White Sox, clearing a spot for Kuiper to play every day.

Primarily a slap hitter, Kuiper maintained a decent batting average (lifetime .271) while proving to be an above average defender, leading American League second basemen in fielding percentage in 1976 and 1979.

He hit his only career home run against Chicago White Sox pitcher Steve Stone on August 29, 1977.

Kuiper holds the MLB record for most career at-bats with only one home run.

In interviews for a video, Super Duper Baseball Bloopers, Stone claimed that he wasn't properly warmed up for the game, with only seven minutes to warm up, because his manager didn't know the game was starting 12 minutes earlier than expected.

Kuiper's counter-argument was, "Steve would like to tell you he wasn't loose. Well, he was loose enough to strike out the first batter of the game."

Kuiper holds the major league record for most career at-bats with exactly one home run in the live-ball era.

Since the game in question was on national television, Kuiper's singular feat was captured on video.

On May 30, 1977, Kuiper scored the only run for either team in Dennis Eckersley's no-hitter against the California Angels.

On July 27, 1978, playing against the Yankees at Yankee Stadium, Kuiper hit two bases-loaded triples.

Shortly after Kuiper suffered a knee injury that caused him to miss most of the 1980 season, the Indians acquired Alan Bannister from the White Sox.

On May 15, 1981, Len Barker pitched a perfect game against the Toronto Blue Jays with Kuiper at second base.

Kuiper fielded five ground balls to contribute to the effort.

The two platooned at second in 1981.

He batted .257 with 14 RBI that season.

Kuiper was dealt from the Indians to the San Francisco Giants for pitcher Ed Whitson on November 15, 1981.

Kuiper's broadcasting career began while still a player, hosting his own KNBR radio show from 1982 to 1985.

Kuiper and future broadcast partner Mike Krukow were both on the Giants from 1983 to 1985, where they formed their friendship.

He backed up Hall of famer Joe Morgan his first season in San Francisco, and batted .255 in three-plus seasons platooning at second for the Giants before being released by the club on June 28, 1985.

Save for one year, Kuiper has been a television and radio broadcaster for the Giants since 1986, and is one half of the popular "Kruk and Kuip" duo alongside his friend and former teammate Mike Krukow.

After retiring from playing baseball, Kuiper provided commentary for the Giants from 1986 to 1992.

He briefly left the Giants in 1993 to work for the expansion Colorado Rockies, but returned in 1994.

Kuiper, his two brothers, and one sister, grew up on a 300 acre farm in Sturtevant, Wisconsin, near Racine.

He played baseball at Jerome I. Case High School in Racine, Wisconsin.

Kuiper is a graduate of Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois, where he was a member of the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity.

His roommate was Dan Radison, a long-time minor and major league coach.

With uncertainty over whether the Giants would move to Florida for the 1993 season, Kuiper left for a one-year stint with the expansion Colorado Rockies.

Kuiper returned to broadcast for the Giants in 1994, where he has remained since.

(Giants telecasts, for which Kuiper is currently an announcer, will run the highlight from time to time to poke fun at him. On April 25, 2014, the Giants held "Duane Kuiper Home Run Bobblehead Night" for their game against the Indians. )