“Guilty criminals”; “Jose Altuve thought he had it bad” - Fans furious as George Springer brushes off 2017 Astros cheating saga ahead of World Series

Old wounds never heal, and for the Los Angeles Dodgers, no tragedy has struck them harder than learning that the Houston Astros allegedly cheated them off to win the 2017 World Series.

One player associated with that Houston roster is George Springer, who is currently playing for the Toronto Blue Jays and just propelled them to the World Series with a three-run homer against the Seattle Mariners in ALCS Game 7.

On Thursday, Springer was asked about his role in the 2017 cheating scandal. Without denying the allegations, the outfielder avoided the question and said he's focused on the game ahead.

“I mean, at the end of the day, I have a job to do and have a game to focus on," Springer said. “So that’s kind of the plan."

Fans were furious in the comments section, with several tagging him guilty of cheating.

"Guilty criminals never want to talk about their crimes," one fan wrote. One fan believes that Springer will be given treatment as Jose Altuve receives every time he plays at Dodger Stadium. "That MF’er is gonna get some serious booos at Dodger Stadium. Altuve thought he had it bad. This is gonna make that seem like childs play!!" one fan added.

Fans continued their verbal barrage on Springer.

"It’s always and forever fck George Springer and every other player or coach associated with the theft of that championship," a fan wrote. "Somebody should check under his jersey for another buzzer," one fan added. "We'll see how well he hits when he doesn't know what pitch is coming. Stealing signs is like knowing you're going to get a straight fastball during batting practice. That's the only reason he won with the Astros," one fan posted.

George Springer speaks candidly on possible boos when series shift back to LA

Games 1 & 2 will be played in Rogers Center in Toronto before the teams travel West Coast, where Dodger Stadium will host Games 3 & 4. There's a good chance George Springer will not be treated with respect when he takes the plate in front of a hostile Dodgers crowd. Talking about it, Springer said he has to face whatever comes with being down there:

“I don’t have a choice," he said. “So, you know, I’d have to go back there. The focus will be on the game and to play the game the best I can. It’s an incredible team on the other side of the field. Everyone knows that. Let’s just see what happens."

The Dodgers are the favorites entering this World Series. They won it last year and easily made their way back to appear in the Fall Classic. It remains to be seen if the Blue Jays have enough firepower to take down the mighty Dodgers.

Edited by Krutik Jain