Pete Crow-Armstrong, a center fielder for the Chicago Cubs, has been fined an undisclosed amount as a result of a scene from Sunday that included a fan, taking place at Rate Field, according to ESPN in a Tuesday report that cited “sources familiar with the situation.”
The 24-year-old Crow-Armstrong issued an apology Monday over his “choice of words” following a fan heckling him in the fifth inning of Chicago‘s defeat against their in-town rival White Sox. Crow-Armstrong stated that he regrets getting vulgar during a back-and-forth against a female supporter. (RELATED: Fantasy Football Player Suffers One Of Most Brutal Punishments During Red Sox-Royals Game)
“Directly or indirectly, I don’t think that any of the women in my life would think I would say those kinds of words regularly,” said Crow-Armstrong, per ESPN. “I’m just bummed out about the word choice and a bunch of little kids going to social media and seeing that as well.”
“Some lady decided to start talking shit and I felt the need to say it back.” -Pete Crow-Armstrong
(via @JesseRogersESPN) pic.twitter.com/a0aigs6UrK
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) May 17, 2026
An investigation into the matter at an extensive level wasn’t needed with Crow-Armstrong acknowledging wrongdoing. The fine on the center fielder is standard practice, with potential suspensions being included, on uniformed personnel who interact negatively with fans. Crow-Armstrong’s example came after he didn’t catch the ball in right-center field against the wall.
Relief pitcher Dennis Santana and left fielder Tommy Pham, who both played for the Pittsburgh Pirates at the time, were each hit with fines and suspensions in the 2025 season following fan incidents. Crow-Armstrong managed to avoid a suspension, vowing to do better.
“It’s just about being a little more respectful and killing someone with kindness instead of matching their level of intent,” said Crow-Armstrong, per ESPN.