Cubs’ Pete Crow-Armstrong regrets vulgar, viral response to heckler, won’t ‘let stuff like that fly’

Pete Crow-Armstrong knows that he should have known better.

The Cubs’ star center fielder wasn’t talking about his latest highlight-reel catch or clutch homer Monday at Wrigley Field. Instead, he found himself discussing his vulgar retort to a heckling fan during Sunday’s loss to the White Sox after it went viral on social media.

“I’m just bummed out about the word choice and that a bunch of little kids probably find their way to social media and see that, as well,” Crow-Armstrong said. “I am intense on the field, and in a moment like that, I just let it get away from me a little bit. Poor word choice.”

Those specifics are easy enough to find. Earmuffs, kids.

Crow-Armstrong’s comeback to a female White Sox fan contained derogatory language that shouldn’t be directed at any woman. That’s what stirred up the remorse the 2025 All Star was feeling.

“I don’t think that any of the women in my life would ever think that I would use those kinds of words regularly, especially referring to them,” Crow-Armstrong said. “I think everybody that knows me knows that’s something that came out specifically with being directly related to baseball in that situation.

“That is not something I pride myself on being about, calling people names like that. But most importantly, the women in my life know I don’t love that choice of word.”

Hecklers are an occupational hazard for pro ballplayers. It seemed Crow-Armstrong was White Sox fans’ top target during the weekend’s Crosstown series on the South Side, no surprise as he’s the Cubs’ highest profile player.

“That’s probably been the case dating back to the earliest days of this game,” Crow-Armstrong said. “I’m sure people found ways to get under our skin and whatnot. It’s just a shame that I let that one person do that.”

Talk a day later centered on the responsibility players have to control their reactions, especially important in the age of camera phones and social media.

“I think every player can say that [they’ve been frustrated by interactions with fans],” Cubs manager Craig Counsell, a former player himself, said. “Sometimes it’s fun, and sometimes it’s funny, actually. Sometimes it’s hurtful, and that happens a lot, too. But we have a standard to uphold that goes along with all the good stuff that we get to experience.”

Crow-Armstrong did not specifically apologize for firing back at the heckling fan, even if he wasn’t happy with how he did it.

Every Cubs fan knows he’s not shy about wearing his emotions on his sleeve, though his fiery outbursts are typically reserved for equipment like bats and helmets.

More often, the Cubs reap the rewards of Crow-Armstrong’s high-energy, emotional approach. He can fire up his teammates with his play on the field like few players around the sport can.

“Pete, he’s an emotional player. … I think that’s a good thing,” Counsell said. “It’ll improve, and it’ll be pointed in the right direction better as he gains experience. But it’s important for him, and he needs it. And we love it. We love a lot of it. But there’s also going to be learning moments from it.”

Much like Crow-Armstrong has no intention of easing off the gas when it comes to his on-field play, he’s not planning to shrink from future run-ins — though he’s going to approach it with a more thoughtful vocabulary.

“I don’t want to let [cameras being on me like Sunday] deter me from the competitiveness that I feel out on the field,” he said. “Channeling it in a different way would be my next task.

“But I’m not always going to let stuff like that fly, either. It’s just about being a little more respectful and killing somebody with kindness instead of matching their level of intent.”