TORONTO — George Springer can’t even remember what time it was in the wee hours Tuesday morning when he strolled into his Toronto condominium, his cell phone still buzzing, trying to not wake up his young family, when his 4-year old son, George IV, jumped up and greeted him at the door.
“I was actually trying to be quiet, my son was still awake, and he ran over and gave me a big hug,’ Springer said. “It was just an awesome moment. It’s one of the coolest moments of the whole day.
“Honestly, I wish I had the words to even describe it.’’
Well, there are about 42 million Canadians who wish they can hug Springer, too, after he delivered the most magical Toronto Blue Jays’ moment in 32 years with his homer in Game 7 of the ALCS that vaulted the Blue Jays into the World Series for the first time since 1993.
“It still hasn’t sunk in,’ Springer said, “it really hasn’t. I’m sure one day I’ll be able to look back on it, and do some reflecting on it, but not now.
“I’m not sure how long it will take.’
The rest of Canada can say the same, with Springer never having to buy another meal, let alone a Molson lager, in this beautiful city again.
“It couldn’t happen to a better person, either,’ Blue Jays outfielder Daulton Varsho said. “He’s been our captain, our leader. He’s like everyone’s big brother.
“And now he has us in the World Series.’
Cheating scandal is ‘in the past’
Springer held court for 45 minutes talking about his game-winning homer, life as a newly-crowned celebrity in Toronto, the love Canadians have for the Blue Jays, how to properly pronounce Toronto and his respect and admiration for the powerful Los Angeles Dodgers, who they’ll face Friday in Game 1 at Rogers Centre.
Well, some 2,500 miles away on the West Coast of the United States, let’s just say the feeling is not so mutual.
Dodgers fans can’t stand Springer.
He represents the 2017 Houston Astros World Series championship the Dodgers believe that Springer and his teammates stole from them.
The Astros were implicated two years later in an illegal sign-stealing scandal from that season that cost manager A.J. Hinch and GM Jeff Luhnow their jobs in Houston, Alex Cora’s job for a year in Boston, and Carlos Beltran’s new managerial gig with the New York Mets.
There was no punishment for the Astros’ players, which drives opposing fanbases insane.
It has been eight long years, but Springer is now the first everyday player from that 2017 squad to reach the World Series with another team.
He already is bracing himself for the reaction when the World Series returns to Los Angeles on Monday for Game 3, with the Dodgers and their fans vividly remembering that Springer hit five home runs in that ’17 World Series, winning the World Series MVP award.
The smile and laughter drain from his face when the subject is brought up. He doesn’t run or hide from it, but he’s visibly uncomfortable addressing the scandal.
“I mean, at the end of the day, I have a job to do and have a game to focus on,’ Springer said. “So that’s kind of the plan.’
When asked if he wears his 2017 World Series ring or has heard from his former Astros teammates during the Blue Jays’ postseason run, Springer was vague.
“You know, that’s in the past,’ he said. “This is about the now. I’ve heard from a lot of guys, you know, up and down, all over the place.’
When asked if he’s looking forward to returning to Dodger Stadium, where he has been viciously booed whenever he has returned, Springer tried to smile.
“I don’t have a choice,’ he said. “So, you know, I’d have to go back there. The focus will be on the game and to play the game the best I can. It’s an incredible team on the other side of the field. Everyone knows that.
“Let’s just see what happens.’
Springer’s current teammates gushed about how much he has meant to them. They talk about his leadership, his guidance. The Toronto community talks in reverence about his charitable support. The folks who work in organizations to support kids with stuttering problems call him a hero.
This is why they would love to see Springer win another World Series ring, this one not tainted.
“That’s why it’s so fitting with the year he had, the best of his career, that he was able to have this moment here,’ Blue Jays infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa. “It kind of makes everyone realize that no matter what happened in the past, this version of George is probably the best version of George.
“And he did it here.’
Springer, who signed a six-year, $150 million free agent contract in 2021, hit 32 home runs this season, his most since 2019, with a .959 OPS, third-best in baseball behind only Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani.
There were no illegal signs. No trash-can banging. No alleged buzzers.
Just good ol’-fashioned hitting where Springer has established himself again as one of the premier offensive players in the game – and one of the greatest power-hitters in postseason history.
“He’s meant so much to me in my career,’ said Bo Bichette, who’s a free agent after the season, and must decide whether he wants to return. “I think he’s kind of my first veteran teammate who has seen it all, done it all, and I’ve learned so much from him.
“Obviously, I’ll be having conversations with him about how to handle a World Series because he does it better than anybody.
“That’s why there was no doubt in my mind he was going to hit a home run that night.’
Springer has hit 23 postseason home runs in his career, tied for third on the all-time home run list behind only Manny Ramirez (29) and former Astros teammate Jose Altuve (27).
“I just try to really slow things down,’ Springer said. ‘Try to kind of breathe and just enjoy the moment. I’ll spread that advice around because that’s the advice I got early in my career.’
‘You know how much it means’
As much euphoria as Springer created with his heroics in the ALCS, he can’t begin to imagine what it would be like seeing the Blue Jays win their first World Series since the famous Joe Carter homer in Game 6 of the 1993 World Series against the Philadelphia Phillies.
“Just seeing how the city, how the country responded the other day,’ Springer said, “it would be just wild. I can’t even begin to tell you how many messages I got the other day. I actually didn’t know that I knew that many people.
“This is just such an unbelievable place to play. We walk out there every day and see our fans, how they respond, at home and on the road, you know how much it means to everyone.’’
Springer, who says the most memorable home run he ever saw in person or watched live on TV was David Ortiz’s game-winning homer in Game 4 of the 2004 ALCS against the New York Yankees, says he will wait to watch his own this winter.
He’s hoping there will be at least one more that he can forever stash away in his memory book before the end of his career.
“I know there’s still a job to be done, and hopefully there’s some more memorable at-bats in front of me,’’ Springer said. “Then, I’ll look back and do some reflecting. But for me, we got a job to do. We’ve got to beat the Dodgers.’’
This time without any illegal assistance, so they can proudly wear those 2025 World Series rings.
“That’s obviously a very historic franchise,’’ Springer said. “Everybody knows that. You look at the guys who have played there. The Hall of Famers on their team now.
“To beat them, would be so special for all of us, this city, and our entire country.
“I want this as bad as everyone else wants it.’
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