Cubs' Pete Crow-Armstrong
apologizes for the words he used during a heated exchange with a fan
[May 19, 2026]
By JAY COHEN
CHICAGO (AP) — Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong said Monday
that he regrets the words he used during a heated exchange with a
fan.
The incident occurred in the fifth inning of Sunday's 9-8 loss to
the crosstown White Sox at Rate Field. Crow-Armstrong was getting up
from the warning track after making an unsuccessful attempt to haul
in Miguel Vargas' two-run double when he was heckled by a woman
standing beyond the fence.
The 24-year-old Crow-Armstrong responded with a vulgar message
punctuated by an expletive.
“I think I just regret my choice of words the most and who that
affects in my life, directly and indirectly,” Crow-Armstrong said.
"I don’t think that any of the women in my life would ever think
that I would use those kind of words regularly, especially referring
to them.
“So I’m just bummed out about the word choice, and that a bunch of
little kids go and probably find their way to social media and see
that as well.”
Cubs manager Craig Counsell said he spoke with Crow-Armstrong about
what happened.
“He made a mistake, and we’ve got to move on from it," Counsell said
before Chicago's 9-3 loss to Milwaukee. “It’s a reality of this job.
It happens. Fan interactions happen. You want to try to keep them
positive, even when they’re not. Sometimes when it’s a really
emotional situation, it’s difficult, but it’s still a requirement of
the job.”
Crow-Armstrong is one of Chicago's biggest stars after hitting .247
with a career-high 31 homers and 95 RBIs last season. He also is one
of baseball's best defensive center fielders, winning his first Gold
Glove last year.
[to top of second column] |
Chicago Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong, right, cannot catch
a two-run double hit by Chicago White Sox's Miguel Vargas during the
fifth inning of a baseball game in Chicago, Sunday, May 17, 2026.
(AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Crow-Armstrong, a first-round pick in the 2020
amateur draft, agreed to a $115 million, six-year contract with the
Cubs in March. But he is batting just .229 this season after going 0
for 4 with two strikeouts in the loss to the Brewers.
“Part of playing is that you’re going to hear some stuff that you
don’t want to hear, and the job is to focus on what’s going on in
the field and keep your attention on that,” Cubs outfielder Ian Happ
said.
Crow-Armstrong's exchange with the fan was captured on video and
widely shared on social media.
“That’s something I should be aware of at all times, that there will
be cameras and such on me,” he said. “I’m not always going to let
stuff like that fly either. It’s just about being a little more
respectful and maybe killing somebody with kindness instead of
matching their level of intent.”
All contents © copyright 2026 Associated Press. All rights reserved |
