Run, George, Run

Houston center fielder George Springer felt so bad after the Astros’ 5-4 loss to the Nationals in game one of the World Series that, according to an AP story, he called manager A.J. Hinch before he went to bed.  How sweet, and unnecessary had Springer only thought to run the second he hit a ball fair in the home half of the eighth inning.

The Astros were down by two with a runner on second when Springer hit a line drive to deep right-center field.  Thinking it might be leaving the premises, Springer stopped just a second to behold the fruits of his swing.  Oops.  The ball stayed in the park for what could have been a triple.  The fly ball Jose Altuve then hit would have scored the tying run, only Springer was at second base.

Springer told reporters after the game, “If I had gone to third, I’m out.  I’m out for sure.”  The Astros’ center fielder said he didn’t “want to necessarily run as fast as I can because, for some reason if [runner Kyle Tucker] tags or whatever the case and I run by him, it’s not good.”  Neither was Springer’s reasoning, unless he happened to be wearing rockets on his cleats that could’ve jetted him past Tucker.  If he addressed being slow out of the box, I didn’t hear his explanation.   

But, hey, maybe I should stop complaining about players who stand at the plate to admire their non-homer homeruns; the more times there are consequences like there were Tuesday night, the sooner players will stop doing it.  In that case, we could all chalk it up to the “Springer Effect.”