Pete Crow-Armstrong is the exact type of athlete fans want on their team. He cares, he wants to win and he says he wants to win for the fans in his city. He’s not afraid to talk his shit or to talk shit about other teams’ fans. The 23-year-old Cubs center fielder is also self-aware. He knows he comes off like an asshole, but for fans pining for the good ole days of players not being so buddy-buddy, Pete Crow-Armstrong is here to beat your ass.
Some people in Chicago might be disgusted by the thought that Crow-Armstrong is viewed as a star, but he is. Chicago Magazine featured Crow-Armstrong and like many of his interviews it became an instant must-read. There are several quotes going viral from Crow-Armstrong, but none got more reaction from fans across MLB than his comparison of Cubs fans to Dodgers fans.
“I love Chicago more and more,” Crow-Armstrong says. “It’s just an incredible city. The people are great. They give a shit. They aren’t just baseball fans who go to the game like Dodgers fans to take pictures and whatever. They are paying attention. They care.”
Naturally, that quote sent off a signal to White Sox fans to chime and blast Cubs fans for being nothing more than attention whores, who go to Wrigley Field for an Instagram post. You know, because no other fans of any other team go to games, drink, have a good time while watching baseball and post online about their experience at the ballpark. Only Cubs fans do that.
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Entering his second full season with the Cubs and coming off an All-Star campaign, Crow-Armstrong is seeking an extension to remain on the North Side of Chicago. While addressing a potential new contract with the Cubs, the gold glove center fielder added some punch to his response.
“I’ve made it clear I want to be here for as long as they want me,” Crow-Armstrong says. “I want what’s best for the team. I’m cool with being under team control and being here. League minimum ain’t too fucking bad.”
“I play the game because I like beating other people.”
“The money will be life-changing regardless. I would like to get a fair deal so I don’t fuck the market up. I want to look out for the other center fielders who have to go through the same process. Which is why I’m glad [Cubs management] and my agents are figuring out how to do this.”
Sure, they might only be words on a page, but when it comes to feeding into a fan’s psyche, there hasn’t been a Cubs’ player like Crow-Armstrong to express it publicly in a long time. This is the type of mentality you want and I’m sure most if not all players want to win, but you truly believe it coming from Pete Crow-Armstrong.
Go read that article in Chicago Magazine. Love him or hate him, Pete Crow-Armstrong is without a doubt the new face of the Cubs.
