TORONTO — It’s an early morning in July and the vibes are extremely chill — and very 1980s — in the Toronto Blue Jays‘ clubhouse at Rogers Centre.
George Springer has taken control of the iPad and is keen on guiding his teammates through a Spotify journey. He begins with the Cyndi Lauper classic “Time After Time,” before moving on to “Every Breath You Take,” by The Police.
Once the maestro feels like he’s given that decade its due, he switches to the ’90s and shows some love to a Canadian icon. Springer cues up Celine Dion’s “To Love You More,” and follows that with a crescendo.
The opening notes of Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On,” serenade the clubhouse and the Blue Jays veteran is clearly content with his choice. Seated on a leather couch amidst some younger teammates, Springer surveys the room and spots rookie Leo Jimenez looking perplexed.
“You were probably six when this song came out,” Springer jokes to Jimenez, who sports a sheepish grin.
In actuality, the young Blue Jays infielder wasn’t even born when the Dion signature debuted on the Titanic soundtrack. Davis Schneider reminds Springer that the film was released in 1997 and then Springer realizes his mistake.
“I was eight when it came out,” notes Springer.
The song is slowly building during this exchange and when the final verse arrives, Springer is ready for the moment. He outstretches his hands like Kate Winslet in the movie and belts out:
“You’re here, there’s nothing I fear.
“And I know that my heart will go on.”
***
When Springer signed with the Blue Jays in early 2021 I asked A.J. Hinch, his former manager with the Astros, what the outfielder was like in the clubhouse. Hinch responded that Springer understood how to read the room and that was exemplified by his work as the DJ in Houston.
A few days later, I asked Springer if he had plans to take control of the aux cord in the Blue Jays clubhouse and he was deferential, saying that he wanted to feel his way around the locker room before making any moves.
Fast forward nearly four seasons and it’s clear Springer drives the musical choices within the Blue Jays clubhouse.
“I’d say it’s probably George,” says Spencer Horwitz.
“Yeah, he’s closest to the iPad, so he usually does it,” adds Ernie Clement.
“He’s such a great DJ,” says Jimenez. “Every time he plays something, I’m just like, ‘Wow, you actually hit the spot right there.’ It’s the right songs at the right time. He knows what he’s doing.”
Springer, 34, attributes his love for music to his father, who was a musician during his own youth and played the piano, guitar and drums. The Springer household always had something playing in the background and that helped shape the entire family’s relationship with music.
“I don’t like silence,” says Springer. “I think it’s weird when you walk into the clubhouse and it’s just quiet. So, I always will put something on just to distract you or enjoy some background noise.”
Major league clubhouses are filled with different personalities and, obviously, varying musical tastes. The Blue Jays’ locker-room is no different — Horwitz prefers ’90s and 2000s rap, Clement considers himself a classic rock guy while Jimenez gravitates toward Afrobeats.
Teammates say Springer is adept at playing all genres and likes to keep everyone guessing. He can feature country megastar Luke Combs prominently and then completely switch up the mood with hip-hop icon Drake.
That’s by design, he notes.
“You got to try to read the room a little bit,” says Springer. “Most guys don’t like to listen to the same thing over and over again. So, you can’t just play country for too long, you can’t play rap for too long.
“What we’ve been going with lately has been 2000s R&B,” he adds. “It’s been the go-to and I don’t think it’s gotten old to any of us yet.”
Being a clubhouse DJ means more than simply pressing play on a streaming service. You’ve got to have a sense of timing, too. For instance, Springer will opt for more easygoing tunes at 3 p.m. before gradually amping up the music as first pitch draws closer.
Starting pitchers typically have a say in the song selection during their mound days and Springer has spent time trying to understand the Blue Jays’ rotation so he can cater to preferences. Kevin Gausman loves classic rock, Chris Bassitt is a country fan and Bowden Francis is more of a wild card who can listen to anything, according to Springer.
Jimenez, who’s only been in the big leagues for two months, has beefed up his own playlists thanks to new music he’s learned about in the clubhouse. He was already a fan of Burna Boy when Springer introduced him to some deeper cuts from the Nigerian artist.
Jimenez also credits the veteran for his burgeoning interest in country music. The 23-year-old infielder is from Panama, a Central American country not exactly known as a hotspot for the genre. However, when Springer played the summer smash “I Had Some Help,” by Post Malone and Morgan Wallen, Jimenez fell in love.
“I was like, ‘Wow,'” he says. “I’m just like, ‘What’s the name of the song?’ They told me and the fun part is that I get to put it on my phone and I can just listen to it whenever.
“I was not really a country guy,” he continues. “I like everything, but now that I see the guys listening to it, I actually listen to it. I don’t feel as weird.”
Jimenez can also add Celine Dion to his playlist because of Springer, but their interaction about her song actually carried real significance to the rookie. He says that when Springer teased him, that acted as an entry-point to a relationship between the two.
“George is one of the main people in this clubhouse,” says Jimenez. “So, to be able to share those little moments and interact like that, it’s like I can actually talk to him and he can talk to me and connect in some type of way. After that moment we’ve actually been connecting and talking way more. I would say that was like an icebreaker.
“It made me feel that I’m welcome in this clubhouse.”
***
Of course, any DJ worth his weight in MP3s should be able to take requests. It’s no fun if someone just hijacks the sound system with reckless abandon. Word is that Springer is very accommodating and assistant hitting coach Matt Hague is about to learn that first-hand.
After Springer is finished singing along to Celine in the Blue Jays clubhouse, he asks Hague if there’s anything he wants to hear.
The coach opts for a divergent choice: Dancehall artist Shaggy.
“Going from Celine to Shaggy is a bit much,” Springer says with a smile. “One more song, then we’ll go there.”
Keeping his word, the veteran transitions with a Whitney Houston track before pressing play on Shaggy’s 2000 chart topper “It Wasn’t Me.”