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

Pete Crow-Armstrong knows he should have known better.

The Cubs’ All-Star center fielder wasn’t talking Monday about his latest highlight-reel catch or clutch homer but rather his vulgar response to a heckling female White Sox fan during a loss to the Sox on Sunday — a retort that 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 at Wrigley Field ahead of the Brewers-Cubs series opener. “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.”

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

“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 every-body 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 baseball players, and it seemed Crow-Armstrong was the Sox fans’ top target during the Crosstown Series on the South Side — no surprise since 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 that players have to control their reactions, especially in the age of phone cameras and social media.

“I think every player can say that [they’ve been frustrated by interactions with fans],” said manager Craig Counsell, who had enough of them himself in 16 seasons as a player. “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 didn’t explicitly apologize for firing back at the fan, even if he wasn’t happy with how he did it.

Since becoming a regular for the Cubs in 2024, he hasn’t been shy about wearing his emotions on his sleeve — although his fiery outbursts typically are directed at bats and helmets. More often than not, the Cubs reap the rewards of his high-energy, emotional approach. He can fire up teammates with his play on the field like few in baseball can.

“Pete, he’s an emotional player, [and] 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.”

Just as Crow-Armstrong has no intention of easing off the gas when it comes to his play, he said he’s not planning to shrink from future run-ins with fans, although he’ll be more thoughtful about his 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.”