How PCA is adjusting to life as a Chicago superstar -- on and off the field

MESA, Ariz. -- The scene on Tuesday morning at Cubs camp was a glimpse into a day in the life of Pete Crow-Armstrong. Between the scheduled baseball work, there were photos and interviews and autographs for the star center fielder.

“Go easy on him,” Cubs first baseman Michael Busch quipped as he walked across the back patio at the team’s complex, where Crow-Armstrong was being mic’d up on a makeshift MLB Network set.

Off to the side, a young fan wearing a Crow-Armstrong jersey was holding up a small poster that read: “PCA is my hero.” When he was done with the TV interview, the outfielder headed over and chatted briefly with the boy. Crow-Armstrong signed an autograph, but also received a small gift.

“You're my favorite player,” said the fan. “And I know Javy Báez was your favorite player, so I got you Javy’s card.”

“This is for me to keep?” asked Crow-Armstrong, as he examined the card.

These are the moments that go along with being one of baseball’s budding superstars. Any time Crow-Armstrong comes into view, you can hear fans off to the side of Field 1 shouting out, “Pete! Pete!” On this morning, he also had equipment reps on his schedule, along with tasks to complete for the Cubs’ multimedia arm.

And to top it all off, Crow-Armstrong had quotes from a lengthy Chicago Magazine feature that dropped this week being turned into clickbait graphics across social media. While fans yelled his name and shared his comments, Crow-Armstrong also had fielding work, a baserunning meeting and training to do in the weight room.

On and off the field, people expect a lot from Crow-Armstrong right now.

“Look,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said, “because of just who Pete is and because of his talents, I think there’s always going to be very high expectations. That’s the blessing and the curse of being very talented, right? And that’s OK. And I think Pete understands that better than we give him credit for, right?

“He understands that very, very well. And I think he handles it very, very well. That’s part of it. You’re going to talk about people like that a lot.”

The line in the magazine story that generated some social-media buzz and headlines on the West Coast revolved around Crow-Armstrong raving about the Chicago sports scene. In the process, the California-raised kid -- a product of baseball powerhouse Harvard-Westlake High School in Los Angeles -- tossed in a jab at Dodgers fans.

“I love Chicago more and more,” Crow-Armstrong was quoted as saying. “It’s just an incredible city. The people are great. They give a [expletive]. 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.”

Now, the 23-year-old Crow-Armstrong is no stranger to Dodger Stadium -- he went to plenty of games there in his youth and took the field as a prep star. At the same time, the center fielder has fallen in love with playing in front of the Wrigley Field faithful and just experienced the Friendly Confines in an October environment for the first time.

Crow-Armstrong is quick to gush over the Cubs fans who pack the bleachers, and he has built a fun relationship in his game-day interactions with the crowd behind him in center. He has also made it no secret that he would love to stay in Chicago as long as the Cubs will have him, dating back to when extension talks bubbled to the surface early last year.

On Tuesday morning, Crow-Armstrong declined to comment any further on his quotes in the magazine article. Beyond that small dig at Dodgers fans -- a little fuel for a couple fan bases with World Series hopes this year -- the wide-ranging story covered a plethora of topics that have surrounded Crow-Armstrong in the past year.

Crow-Armstrong touched on wanting to be more consistent than he was throughout an otherwise standout season offensively, in which he became the first Cubs hitter in history with at least 30 homers, 30 steals and 30 doubles. He talked about his youth as the son of two actors and growing into a Cubs fan and being traded for one of his favorite players in Báez.

The feature also showed how Crow-Armstrong -- colorful in personality, style and commentary -- is a fan favorite among young Cubs fans himself. That was evident again on Tuesday at Cubs camp, where the center fielder took the time in a hectic day to make at least one kid’s day.

Just another day in the spotlight.

“The sky’s the limit for him. I feel like he can do anything on a baseball field,” Cubs star Alex Bregman said. “Once you get older and you play in this league for a while, you start to learn and grow and know what works and know what doesn’t from the mental side of things.

“I feel like he’s going to have an unbelievable year and he’s focused on all the right things.”