Pete Crow-Armstrong’s responds to heckling in the best way

Pete Crow-Armstrong did not hold back when rounding the bases after his 444-foot bomb in St. Louis on Saturday night. The Cubs’ lightning rod centerfielder had a huge day, going 4-5 with a homer, double, two RBI, and reaching five times. He also added a sliding catch to end the game for good measure.

TARPS OFF. BALL GONE. pic.twitter.com/4oW1AuryUG

— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) May 31, 2026

Crow-Armstrong’s solo blast in the top of the eighth landed into the now famous “Tarps Off” fan section at Busch Stadium. The ball was hit as the Cardinal faithful were chanting “Overrated” at him. He made celebratory gestures towards his dugout while rounding the bases as the heckles turned to boos.

A much more effective way to respond to heckling.

It was just a few weeks ago when Crow-Armstrong made national headlines for his controversial interaction with a White Sox fan during the Crosstown series. He left Rate Field with a loss that day and eventually a fine. It’s a moment he seems to wish he had back, and one that will be remembered forever, regardless of how one feels about it.

In St. Louis, he did the best thing one could do to hecklers: beat them in the box score.

Worth noting the masses chanting at Crow-Armstrong at Busch Stadium was not quite the same as the 1-on-1 interaction on the South Side. It was more personal that time. Still, having a night like that to back up the lightning rod personality on the field is how to come out on top.

This will be a new normal for Crow-Armstrong

Crow-Armstrong has established himself as a lightning rod. It feels safe to say, regardless of how much he ends up growing as a player, many baseball fans have made up their minds about him. He’s going to get booed and heckled in a lot of parks, especially in rival parks and Dodger Stadium.

If he can further grow as a player, then he can have more of these moments to shut down hecklers without barking back. It obviously won’t work every time, as every player will fail in many games. With that said, it was hard when he was really struggling. That just fueled the flames for the people not so fond of him.

One can easily argue it’s good to have a “villain” on a team. Even if they are not harming others and are good citizens, players like Crow-Armstrong, who are emotional and speak their mind, tend to be naturally off-putting for opponents. Regardless, the villains need to produce and win battles on the field to reign over the jeers.

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