Houston Sports - George Springer

George Springer

Born: September 19, 1989

Sport: Baseball (2-time All-American, 4-time All-Star, 3-time Silver Slugger, World Series MVP)

My daughter and I went to the NCAA South Region Final during March Madness last week, and while we didn't get the chance to see the team we hoped for (UH Cougars) it was still a fun time.  This week, however, the University of Connecticut and the University of Michigan each punched their tickets to the championship game.  The city of Houston has had a few significant players in their history that have come from both schools, but today I've opted to give the Huskies the nod by throwing the spotlight on a UConn product who played his best baseball while in Houston.  Unlike last week's focus that came from the early years of his sport this player is still active, although while he remains a favorite of Astros fans he has been employed by the Toronto Blue Jays for several seasons.  So let's dive into the story of George Springer.

The downtown home of the Houston Astros, known as Minute Maid Park in 2014

George Springer III was born in New Britain, Connecticut, as the oldest child to parents George Jr. and Laura who had adopted the working-class town as their own on their way to raising three children together.  George Springer Jr.'s father, the original George Springer in the family, had come to the United States from Panama to play baseball but had missed out on his dream due to injury.  George Jr. loved the game, playing in the 1976 Little League Baseball World Series before playing football as a walk-on at the University of Connecticut and ultimately becoming a lawyer.  With a father and grandfather who loved baseball, George III was brought up early in life to adore America's pastime.  He spent time hanging out at the nearby minor league ballpark, where he credits future major leaguer Torii Hunter with changing his life forever by inviting him to play catch.  Having a professional ball player see something special in him created the drive and belief to accomplish more.  Despite being an exceptionally outgoing young man, however, one of the biggest struggles of his early life was a stutter that became quite pronounced by the time he was in third grade.  Springer managed to overcome his speech impediment and played both JV and varsity baseball for New Britain High School as a freshman.  The following year he transferred to Avon Old Farms School, a college prep school where he graduated in 2008.  George III was drafted by the Minnesota Twins out of high school in the 2008 MLB Draft but decided he wasn't ready for professional baseball and eventually followed in his father's footsteps to attend UConn.  He surpassed George Jr.'s baseball success by playing for the school's varsity baseball team and was selected as a first team All-American during his freshman year.  After getting a second All-American nod in 2011 Springer ultimately achieved his goal of becoming a professional baseball player by getting drafted with the 11th pick in the 2011 MLB Draft by the Houston Astros.

While climbing through the minor leagues, George Springer consistently received recognition for being a high achiever.  He played in numerous minor league All-Star and Futures games, and by 2014 he made it all the way to the major leagues, where he made his debut early in the 2014 season for the Astros.  Springer made his first appearance in a major league game on April 16 against the Kansas City Royals and collected his first hit that day, interestingly against the same team against whom he would play in his first playoff run the following season.  On June 30, 2014 Springer was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine, which named the Astros (then in the midst of a youth movement, fueled by talent acquired after years of tanking) as the 2017 World Series champions.  He was an integral part of the first Houston Astros team to make it to the postseason in the American League in 2015, knocking off the New York Yankees in a Wild Card matchup before losing to the eventual World Series champion Royals team in five games.  Although they did not make the postseason in 2016 the team continued to develop and matured into a contender.  Springer was moved from right field to center field and not only earned his first All-Star nod but truly became the league's premier leadoff hitter for the 2017 squad that dominated their competition en route to the second 100-win season in franchise history and the team's first World Series title, making the Sports Illustrated cover prophecy come true with a 7-game victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers.  A record-matching 5 HR series, including so-called "Springer Dingers" in four consecutive games, earned the young outfielder MVP honors and during the offseason he was awarded his first Silver Slugger.  For a kid who had struggled with stuttering his entire life, he embraced the spotlight that came from his successes and did not shy away from his impediment, becoming a role model and fan favorite for many.

As the 2018 season dawned, it didn't seem that much could keep George Springer down.  He led of the season with a home run, becoming the first player in history to have a homer for his team's very first at-bat of the year in consecutive seasons.  He later matched the franchise mark for hits in a game by tagging Oakland for six hits, matching an effort only equaled by Hall of Famer Joe Morgan (although that 1965 game was in 12 innings, making Springer's effort unique).  Unfortunately for the Astros, Springer joined teammates Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa on the disabled list for periods of time and although he returned to form enough to merit a second All-Star selection and later hit a HR in the first game of the playoffs - his fifth consecutive postseason game with a home run, matching the club record - the Astros were eliminated during the AL Championship Series by the Boston Red Sox.  During the offseason a former teammate accused the Astros of cheating during their 2017 title run, and the ensuing MLB investigation that didn't publicly answer many questions left a smear on the Houston team that has never gone away.  Despite a solid 2019 season that saw Springer have his only 3-home run game as a member of the Astros and earn both his third straight All-Star nod and second Silver Slugger award, the team was defeated in seven games by the Washington Nationals in the World Series.  Unfortunately it was the last time that Springer was able to perform live in front of Astros fans as the 2020 season was disrupted by Covid-19, after which he became a free agent.  Houston made the organizational decision not to offer long-term contracts to players, so when the Toronto Blue Jays came to the negotiating table offering more years and dollars, it made sense for him to move away from the only franchise he'd ever known.  Springer left Houston with the fifth highest HR total in franchise history with 174, which has since been surpassed by Alex Bregman and equaled (as of today) by Yordan Alvarez.  He has remained with the Toronto Blue Jays for the past six seasons, and 2026 marks the end of his contract with the team.  Springer's performance since heading north of the border has been mixed, and although he's had a few seasons that would be considered poor by his standards he also reached the All-Star game in 2022 and received his third career Silver Slugger in 2025 while helping lead his team to a World Series appearance.  Where Springer's career will go from here remains to be seen but he currently sits among the top 15 active HR leaders and is second only to the legendary Rickey Henderson in leadoff HR.  His postseason numbers are even more impressive, where he is tied for third in career playoff HR and according to at least one advanced stat (cWPA - championship Win Probability Added) is the most effective, game-changing playoff hitter in history.  His primary charitable work has been done with groups that help youth manage and overcome stuttering challenges, including the Stuttering Association for the Young.  As the University of Connecticut chases yet another basketball title tomorrow, the most accomplished baseball player to ever play for the Huskies will certainly be cheering them on.

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