UConn baseball coach shares thoughts on George Springer

UConn baseball coach talks about his former star during stop in New Haven

NEW HAVEN — Monday was the first time Jim Penders had seen his former first-round draft pick since the Houston Astros had won its first World Series.

George Springer returned to the University of Connecticut campus, just a little over a month removed from tying a World Series record with five homers, to go along with seven RBIs and a .379 batting average to earn MVP honors. Springer wanted to show his fiancee, Charlise Castro, the campus where he became an All-American and was drafted 11th overall in the 2011 Major League Baseball Draft.

“We were standing on the Gampel (Pavilion) floor, about 10 minutes into our tour and I finally realized (and said to Springer), ‘Congratulations on the (World Series) ring and the MVP,’” Penders said. “It took me time to process it.”

Springer was a part of Penders’ speech Tuesday morning as the guest speaker for the 10th Annual Farnam Community Sports Celebrity Breakfast at Anthony’s Ocean View. He relayed a story about how on the night Springer was drafted, UConn was in the midst of defeating Clemson in an NCAA tournament game. Springer didn’t want to know when he was drafted — he had a big game to worry about.

In other words, team first, self second.

“I think good teammates are incredibly hard to find nowadays. It’s a tough thing to find, tough to be a good teammate, how to share

to make other people better,” Penders told the audience.

Longtime WTNH-TV anchor Ann Nyberg was the recipient of the Polly Sweeten Excellence in Sports Award, given for her work in the community that includes the Toy Closet Program at Yale-New Haven Hospital she founded in 1993. Michael Jackson, the director of Biddy Basketball at the Farnam Community House from 1993-2016, was given the Farnam Appreciation Award.

The Rising Star Award, a $500 scholarship given to a student-athlete from the area, went to Kwane Taylor from Wilbur Cross. Taylor is a standout football and basketball player for the Governors. The other two finalists for the award were Kylie Schlottman from East Haven (basketball, volleyball) and Sophia Flanders from Hamden (volleyball).

Penders has been the head baseball coach at his alma mater since 2003. Four of his former players currently are in the majors: Scott Oberg of the Colorado Rockies, Nick Ahmed from the Arizona Diamondbacks, Matt Barnes from the Boston Red Sox and Springer. Penders said he purchased the MLB Extra Innings package from DirecTV to keep up on his former players.

Springer is now the most wellknown of the quartet and his new celebrity status was evident Monday while he made his way around the UConn campus.

“Some of the kids were like, ‘Mr. Springer?’ I hear that and I am looking for his father,” Penders said. “While we walked around, you could feel heads turn. It was like walking around with a celebrity. I asked them, ‘Do you feel the heads turn or is it just me? (Castro) said, ‘It’s gotten more significant.’ She wasn’t complaining. It’s amazing how so many people know him right away now.”

Penders said many of the students wanted to take selfies with Springer, and he obliged. He also spoke to the current members of the UConn baseball team.

“He didn’t miss a note, just like in every press conference I saw him do during the postseason. He didn’t say one wrong word,” Penders said. “It was strange for me to see the kids’ faces, they were just in awe. For George, it was like he was back at home, but the reverence our guys showed for him was almost awkward at first. Then they realized he was one of them.”

Whether it’s speaking to the team, posing for selfies, helping coordinate with local business from his hometown of New Britain to help with the relief effort in the wake of Hurricane Harvey that devastated Houston, or be a spokesperson for The Stuttering Association for the Young — a condition Springer has long dealt with — those are all ways Springer has given back. That’s the message Tuesday’s breakfast was all about and also the message Penders tried to convey during his speech.

“It doesn’t cost anything to be nice. It doesn’t cost anything to be kind,” Penders said.

Brett Coomer / Houston Chronicle Astros center fielder George Springer hoists the World Series trophy as the Astros celebrate beating the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 7 of the World Series on Nov. 1.

Yi-Chin Lee / Houston Chronicle The Astros’ George Springer holds the World Series trophy while waiting in the tunnel to be recognized during the first quarter of a game between the Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts on Nov. 5.