"I ain't an athlete, I'm a baseball player" - When John Kruk responded cheekily to fan criticizing him for being overweight & drinking beer

John Kruk enjoyed a 10-year career in the big leagues, playing for three different MLB teams during his time. He was most known for his time with the Philadelphia Phillies, but he also spent time with the San Diego Padres and Chicago White Sox.

He was a three-time All-Star before deciding to retire after the 1995 season. He put the stamp on a great career and was later inducted into the Philadelphia Phillies Wall of Fame.

During his playing days, Kruk was one to let loose. He enjoyed drinking beers and smoking cigarettes. When recognized by a lady earlier in his career, she was shocked to see the slugger knocking them back. However, Kruk did not really care what others thought about him, via The Coast News Group's Spencer Hirsch.

"I ain't an athlete, lady. I'm a baseball player" said Kruk.

During Kruk's playing days, many baseball players let loose. Cigarettes were not banned in the sport until the 1993 season and many would sneak alcoholic beverages into the dugouts during games.

Kruk stuck with that phrase for a while and ended up authoring a book with the same title. The book goes on to tell stories about his time with the Phillies and his philosophy surrounding the game.

The game has long changed since John Kruk last laced up the cleats

Phillies - John Kruk (Photo via IMAGN)

The game has changed a lot since John Kruk was slugging home runs. For starters, there were plenty of new rules that players had to get used to, especially over the last few years.

Players have had to deal with Right after Kruk retired, the league implemented an expanded strike zone. Most recently, the game has also implemented a pitch clock.

Outside of rules changes, MLB players have a whole different philosophy regarding the game than Kruk and his fellow teammates did. Many players live on a strict diet, and would never think of smoking anything.

Somebody like Shohei Ohtani would not be able to perform like he does if he chose the route Kruk did. Neither would somebody like Aaron Judge.

Most MLB players do not even use smokeless tobacco anymore. It was banned from ballparks in 2016. However, there are still some players who dip as the ban only applied to new players and fans.

The game has certainly changed a bunch from when Kruk was playing, and many would say these changes were for the better.