ASTROS FLASHBACK: George Springer, His "Beautiful Stutter" and Enduring Inspiration
Financing a documentary with a Hollywood star is only one part of how the All-Star outfielder has influenced and inspired kids in at least two countries.
Portions of this article first appeared May 21, 2019 on The Runner Sports.
To the Houston Astros for seven years, do-everything outfielder George Springer was to the team what donuts are to Homer Simpson, who routinely muttered, “Mmmmmm, donuts….what can’t they do?”
Springer racked up two All-Star Game appearances, a World Series championship ring, and a World Series MVP award with the Astros before signing a six-year, $150 million free agent deal with the Toronto Blue Jays before the 2021 season.
While still with Houston, Springer managed to add a couple of impressive and enviable screen credits to the point where he has now earned his Screen Actors Guild card:
Springer was even featured in his own regional BMW TV commercial, in much the same way actor Matthew McConaughey starred in several national ads for Lincoln. We’ve all seen those, so here’s a couple of spot-on parodies.
And, Springer even did a traffic segment on a local TV station! He’s made it known that his stuttering can be eased a bit in familiar and comfortable situations (and events), so tackling this unfamiliar gig had to loom as a large mountain to climb, but, while a daunting proposition, he sailed through like a pro:
And, a few years ago, Springer added Executive Producer to his resume, as he and actor Paul Rudd joined together (with actor/director Patrick James Lynch) to fund the film documentary, “My Beautiful Stutter.” The film debuted at the Indy Film Fest at Indiana State University and enjoyed wide release on July 4, 2019:
A Lot to SAY
A film synopsis: “The documentary follows five kids who stutter, ages 9 to 18, from all over the United States, who after experiencing a lifetime of bullying and stigmatization, meet other children who stutter at an interactive arts-based program, The Stuttering Association for the Young, based in New York City.
“Their journey to SAY find some close to suicide, others withdrawn and fearful, exhausted and defeated from failed fluency training, societal pressures to not stutter or the decision to remain silent. Over the course of a year we witness first hand the incredible transformation that happens when these young people of wildly different backgrounds experience for the first time the revolutionary idea at the heart of SAY: that it’s okay to stutter.”
The Transformative Springer
George Springer’s own journey with his lifelong stuttering has been well documented.
“Springer has had a stutter his entire life, and as a young boy he rarely wanted to talk,” relayed Houstoniamag.com in June 2017. “Now, as a professional athlete who addresses the public and reporters on a daily basis, he’s learned to not let the stutter control him—and he’s encouraging others to do the same.
“In 2014, Springer became the spokesperson for the Stuttering Association for the Young, a nonprofit organization committed to constructing a supportive environment and safe spaces for young people who stutter.” In fact, he’s proudly got his own SAY page, as the organization’s National Spokesperson!
For several years, now, Springer has selflessly hosted the annual George Springer Bowling Benefit at Lucky Strike in Houston. Proceeds from the events help less fortunate families send their children to Camp SAY, a two-week camp that gives youth who stutter the opportunity to nurture new friendships and empower themselves.
“I’m extremely happy for all the kids to go out and to truly see that they’re not the only ones,” Springer says. “I know from experience that that can be a very isolating feeling.”
“Be Who You Are”
Springer credits his involvement in baseball as the outlet that gave him great comfort through his challenging adolescent years. Later, in college, his baseball coach noticed that the outfielder’s stutter usually went away when he talked about the things he was passionate about, particularly his love of baseball.
“He told me that I don’t ever stutter if I’m talking about something that I like to talk about, especially if I’m talking about the game,” Springer told Houstoniamag. “The game is something that I’m comfortable with, it’s something that I love.”
A New Team, A New Country, A New Opportunity
In March 2023, MLB.com beat writer, Jesse Sanchez, shared his uplifting and informative story about raising his own baseball-loving son, Mateo, who also is challenged by his own stutter:
“In the beginning, my wife and I were determined to help our boy ‘fix’ his speech,” Jesse writes. “We played word games. We told him he didn’t always have to speak. We’d even finish his sentences or guess what he was trying to say. We later learned some of our experiments were actually stressors that exacerbated tension in his throat and neck. They did more harm than good.
“But, here’s the thing with stuttering: You don’t fix it. And you don’t cure it. There are tools, techniques and strategies that can help manage it. But what works for one person might not work for another. In our case, the real ‘fix’ came with patience, awareness, and help from a big league ballplayer.”
Enter the Role Model…Again
“I knew who George Springer was, but I didn’t know he stuttered until Mateo told me,” Jesse continues. “Years ago, as he searched online to learn about people like him, he came to learn the names of almost all the athletes and celebrities who stutter or stuttered as a child.
“It blew his mind when he discovered Darth Vader -- actor James Earl Jones -- stutters. He loves the television series ‘The Office’ partly because John Krasinski, the actor who plays his favorite character Jim Halpert, is married to Emily Blunt, who stuttered as a child.
“I don’t have James Earl Jones in my contacts. Emily Blunt lives on our television and in the movies. But George Springer? He’s one person we might have a chance to meet or at least see in person because of my job in baseball. At the time, I recalled thinking how important it was for Mateo to meet someone who spoke like him -- and thrived in spite of it.
“I wanted him to meet George”:
A Hero’s Work Is, Thankfully, Never Done
One day, Springer sees a sign in the stands: “I stutter, too!”:
Springer: “The main goal for me is to keep showing kids and adults that you can be who you are and do whatever it is that you want to do, if that’s speaking in front of a camera or talking in front of a group of people, you can do whatever it is you want to do. I hope that they can use me as an example.”
I know I’m going to [stutter], but it doesn’t stop me from speaking.
As a Jays fan, I'm thrilled George is with us. I knew of him with the Astros but since he's come here he's become my favourite player. His love for what he does, his joy in playing the game is so infectious and inspiring - and that's even before you factor in what he's had to overcome.
The world is just much better with George in it.
Great article! On the field, Springer is probably my favorite non-Royal of the last decade or so. I knew it was a pipe dream that would never happen, but I always wanted to see him in Royal blue. At least I've gotten to see him play at the K a couple of times, once with Houston (2017, the Royals walked off the Astros in probably the best game I've ever seen live, but hey, the Astros went on to win the WS, so I think it's cool) and once with Toronto (the Jays dominated a very bad Royals team last year).
All that said, and this may come as a surprise since you've read my stuff and know it tends to be on the deeper dive side of things, I'd never really looked into his personal backstory. Had no idea he had a stutter. I'll have to share this story with my wife. She's moderately interested in baseball, but as a speech language pathologist, this is right up her alley.