Phillies Commentator John Kruk Always Wears Long Sleeves for a Very Important Reason

Before becoming one of the Phillies’ most entertaining commentators, John Kruk was a legendary baseball player for the Phillies. Thankfully, he has a personality to go along with his athleticism, which is how he can stay in the MLB. His openness with his fans and ability to tell funny stories while enjoying a Phillies game are just some traits that make him iconic.

But in the summer of 2023, we can’t help but notice that John is always wearing long sleeves. With days sometimes hotter than 90º, John’s propensity for long sleeves is puzzling, to say the least. So why does John always wear long sleeves?

Despite the heat, John Kruk always wears long sleeves while he’s in the booth. Fans have begun noticing, and John even remarks during broadcasts that he “has to wear long sleeves.” Naturally, we can’t help but wonder why. People wear long sleeves in hot weather for several reasons—to cover something up, to protect from sunburn, or some other medical reason.

While John is pretty open and responsive to his fans, he’s only once responded on Twitter despite the many tweets asking the question. On July 8, 2023, fan Kerri Hagee asked, “Lots of long sleeves lately John. Is everything A-O A-OK??”

John responded, “Yes, nerve damage and when the sun hits my arms or legs it burns like hell.” So while he said everything is “A-OK,” he is still struggling with nerve damage.

In 1994, John Kruk was diagnosed with testicular cancer and was later diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. Then, in 2022, he had to undergo gallbladder surgery, after which he could return to the booth. John’s nerve damage could have been caused by any of those diagnoses or events, particularly diabetes. But it’s just as likely that a sports injury caused the damage.

We’re just happy that John is staying comfortable and healthy in his long sleeves!