World Series MVP on What a Championship Means for Houston
George Springer, Houston Astros outfielder and World Series MVP, joins Cheddar to discuss his journey to the biggest stage in major league baseball.
Springer talks about being on that famous cover of Sports Illustrated in 2014, which predicted the Astros would win the World Series in 2017. He says he remembers when it happened, but at that point, the team had a lot of work to do in order to get there. Springer says a lot of data and science goes into bringing the team together.
He's provided with a lot of information from the scouting and analytic members on staff. But he points out that ultimately the team is made of human beings, and instinct & heart need to also be taken into consideration.
Springer also talks about being mentally and physically prepared for game day. He says he does anything he can to have his body recover at nighttime because he needs to play the next day. It's a draining sport, so he finds ways to relax his mind and body through yoga, meditation, or just watching a show on TV.
He also talks about growing up with a stutter and transforming from a shy kid to the MVP of the World Series. At the age of 21, he realized he can't control his stutter and decided to embrace it. He now works with kids who stutter to provide a role model and inspiration.
Texas Rangers (90-72, second in the AL West during the regular season) vs. Arizona Diamondbacks (84-78, second in the NL West during the regular season).
The Arizona Diamondbacks advanced to the World Series for the first time in 22 years by stunning the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 7 of the NL Championship Series. Arizona next plays the Texas Rangers in the Fall Classic.
NHL players will be allowed to use Pride tape this season after all with the reversal of a ban that sparked a backlash around hockey and among LGBTQ+ advocates in sports.
The NBA’s 78th season starts Tuesday, with a ring ceremony in Denver — the traditional celebration of the reigning champions — highlighting the opening-night celebration. The Nuggets beat Miami last June to become the league’s fifth different champion in the last five years, a run of parity the likes of which the league hasn’t seen in more than 40 years.