George Springer’s name will forever be associated with one of baseball’s most contentious periods, the Houston Astros’ sign-stealing scandal. The star was a key player on the 2017 championship team and won the World Series MVP award for his great play. But news about how the team worked that season cast a shadow over those wins and led to heated arguments in the sport.

The scandal made people think hard about personal responsibility, team culture, and the honesty of championship wins. While Springer has apologized for what happened, the controversy still follows him. But to really understand what happened, we need to look at the complicated plan the Astros used, Springer’s specific role in it, and how it affected his career and legacy in baseball.

George Springer Cheating Allegations 

George Springer is still a key name in baseball’s most famous cheating scandal: The 2017 Houston Astros sign-stealing scheme that cost the Los Angeles Dodgers the World Series title. Springer was right in the middle of it all, hitting five home runs and winning the World Series MVP award. Reportedly, he also benefited from the illegal act of using trash cans to signal pitches.

Fans still won’t forgive what happened almost ten years ago. And whenever he steps into Dodger Stadium, he gets a storm of boos. The now Blue Jays outfielder said he was sorry when the truth came out in 2020, but the players didn’t get in trouble, and management was only suspended for a short time. And Springer kept his championship ring.

Now, every big hit brings up accusations about the trash can signal, so the internet won’t let him forget about his time in Houston. Some fans even think he stole his 2017 title.

George Springer’s Role in the 2017 Astros Team

Springer absolutely dominated that 2017 World Series run, setting records left and right as the Astros’ leadoff hitter. He went 11 for 29 with seven RBIs overall and took home the World Series MVP award. The guy was absolutely unstoppable, hammering at least one home run in each of the final four games of the series—a record all his own.

Beyond the postseason heroics, Springer finished his regular season hitting .283 with 34 homers and 85 RBIs, earning his first Silver Slugger Award and making his first All-Star team.

What Was the Houston Astros Sign-Stealing Scandal?

The Astros cheated for two seasons, starting in 2017 and going into 2018, before they were finally caught. They installed a video camera system to detect the signs of opposing pitchers. Then, they sent the information through a series of unique sounds. The most famous of these sounds was banging trash cans in the dugout to let people know what was coming. After the 2019 season, former Astros pitcher Mike Fiers revealed to The Athletic certain things that led to a huge investigation.

About two months later, MLB confirmed the violations and punished management harshly. A.J. Hinch, the manager, and Jeff Luhnow, the general manager, both got one-year suspensions before being fired. However, the investigation showed that Hinch didn’t really like the system; neither did he didn’t stop anything. And Luhnow mentioned he was unaware, yet he was suspended because it was his job to ensure the team was accountable.

The aftermath had a big impact on baseball.

After his suspension, Hinch returned to the game as Detroit’s manager. Luhnow, on the other hand, left the sport for good. The real issue?

Fans were angry that no players were suspended because they thought the wrong ones were punished. Carlos Beltran, who MLB reports stated was in charge of the scheme with bench coach Alex Cora, resigned as Mets manager before he even threw a pitch. The Red Sox fired Cora and suspended him for the rest of 2020. The message was simple.

Players were off-limits, even though they actively participated in the cheating.

MLB’s Punishment, and Why Players Like George Springer Escaped Suspension

When the scandal broke in 2020, MLB’s punishments seemed strangely incomplete. Manager A.J. Hinch was suspended for a year, bench coach Alex Cora was banned for a year, and owner Jim Crane had to pay a large fine and lose draft picks. The Astros organization took the blame, but the ones who actually swung the bats and knew every pitch?

They left without a scratch. It’s the kind of choice that makes fans angry even today.

The league’s reasoning came down to a technicality, though.

MLB couldn’t prove for sure which players knew about the scheme or took part in it. Because the players’ union fought hard to protect its members, and there was no clear evidence linking people like Springer to the crime. So, suspensions never happened. In the end, fans deemed the whole penalty system weak.

Recent Fan Reactions During World Series

When Springer stepped into the batter’s box at Dodger Stadium for World Series Game 3, the anger reached a fever pitch. Thousands of fans booed so loudly that the scoreboard shook. Seeing him in a Blue Jays uniform didn’t make Dodgers fans feel better about losing the 2017 championship to an Astros team that used trash-can signals to get an unfair advantage.

“That cheater shouldn’t even be holding a bat,” One Dodgers fan yelled from the stands, angry that Springer’s five World Series home runs and MVP award in 2017 were based on stolen signs that took the crown from Los Angeles.

Another spectator shouted, “He’s still getting away with it!” They couldn’t believe that Springer didn’t get suspended and kept playing even though MLB’s official investigation confirmed the cheating scandal.

“I lost my voice booing him last night. Worth it,” said another passionate fan, acknowledging their anger and a crack in their voices was all worth it.

The boos at Dodger Stadium showed that baseball fans have lasting memories. And Springer is still a lightning rod for anger over stolen signs and an unearned championship years after the scandal broke.