ENERGY SOURCE
Springer’s exuberant vibe keeps clubhouse buzzing, but he’s a throwback when he is between the lines
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — It was one of those quiet, sleepy, early spring-training mornings when nothing was happening.
Pitchers were spread out in chairs, some blankly staring up at 70-inch TVs. Others faced their lockers, intentionally turning away from the equally sleepy media, with long legs stretching into the back of bottom shelves. When young hitters randomly walked through the clubhouse, they just as quickly disappeared.
Then the day began.
George Springer strode in wearing a lime-green retro Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles T-shirt. He had two caps — one Astros, one something else — on top of his short-hair-on-the-sides, messyon-top head. He went through boxes and boxes of new baseball stuff. And when Springer was ready to speak, he basically turned on all the lights in the room and hit play on every waiting recorder.
Unpretentious. No ego. Wide open.
There is no one on the Astros like Springer except Springer. Heck, few in MLB can touch his never-ending energy and electric-
ity. And in many ways, spring training at its best is the 27-year-old Springer, who’s an 8-year-old in the toy aisle and an old throwback to the game’s greatest days at the same time.
“There’s an energy when George comes into any building. He’s a positive guy,” said manager A.J. Hinch, who never grows tired of discussing the many virtues of No. 4. “He’s a guy that sort of brings his exuberant personality out every single day. Everybody smiles when we see George.”
Springer laughs and cracks sharp one-liners. And he talks about video games, getting engaged, winning an impromptu Super Bowl LI bet with former Astro/now Ranger Delino DeShields Jr., and Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo and Raphael with the same eager passion. “Where did we get it?” Springer said Thursday at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches, looking down at his TMNT T. “I think we got it at Kohl’s or something. I just saw it and had to have it. I love this shirt.”
He pretty much hates Twitter. And Facebook. Probably Instagram. Definitely social media, which is about as useless as a five-K day for the fourthyear outfielder coming off career highs in everything from games played (162) and at-bats (644) to home runs (29), runs (116) and RBIs (82).
Almost an All-Star
Remember when Springer almost was an All-Star last year and there was a #VoteSpringer campaign that tried to get the fan favorite on the American League team at the last minute? He finished second and
graciously thanked fans for trying. But Springer didn’t have a Twitter account then and still doesn’t — a rarity in these share-everything modern times — and his lack of interest is as sincere as it is revealing.
“I just don’t care for it. I’m a pretty low-key guy, and I don’t think anyone really needs to know what I’m doing,” said Springer, who was the first of the young Astros to signal the franchise’s new era. “I’m a team-first guy, and I don’t believe in social media or all that stuff. I don’t see the point in it.
“Your off-field life is supposed to be private. It’s supposed to be you and your significant other, not you and your phone. I
hate my phone. Basically, if I didn’t have to have it, I wouldn’t have it.” Amen to all that. Springer isn’t a Luddite or a loner. He just isn’t into the too-much-information age, instead preferring to run full speed and dive headfirst into everything between the lines, then be one of the guys before the first out and after the last.
Ask him where his career stands entering year four, and you get this: “I’m not a very selfish guy. Obviously, you want to succeed and perform. But you want to succeed and perform for your team. For me, that’s what it’s about. The guys that are going to be in this clubhouse throughout the year, helping them get to October.”
Ask him about good buddy Jake Marisnick — the two are basically inseparable — or his locker now being next to 20-year veteran Carlos Beltran’s, and the real Springer suddenly emerges.
Springer on Marisnick: “It’s a fun relationship, man. He’s a good dude, and we just have our fun. It’s like a brother thing. He messes with me, and I mess with him. There’s no shying away from it.”
Clubhouse presence
Springer on being so close to Beltran (with a fun shot at Marisnick): “That’s pretty crazy, to be completely honest with you. … I’ve got Jake (near), but (Beltran) trumps Jake for sure.”
The sarcastic wit never stops.
Springer walked back into the clubhouse after batting practice highly engaged in a full-roar conversation about video games that involved veteran catcher Brian McCann, second-year third baseman Alex Bregman and Marisnick. McCann, 32, tried to hang with the cool kids and got drowned out.
Soon, Springer was holding up an oversized U.S. flag, trying to figure out where to hang it.
When someone brought up the overused “What did you do during the offseason” question, Springer paused for effect.
“Ehhhh … I just got engaged,” he said with a laugh. “That’s about it. It wasn’t anything special.”
Special: That’s Springer, three seasons after he started this whole orangeand-blue revival. And he really is spring training at its best.