CHICAGO – Dating back to his early days with the Cubs, Pete Crow-Armstrong always showed a level of respect for the team’s icons when they would visit Spring Training or make a stop by Wrigley Field. One legendary Cub that the current center fielder has loved getting to know over the years is Billy Williams.
“He’s just one of the coolest dudes,” Crow-Armstrong said. “That’s such a lame way to describe it, but it’s so true. He’s just really cool.”
And as Crow-Armstrong has quickly grown into a superstar for the North Siders, there has always been a fun fact hovering around about Sweet Swingin’ Billy. The Hall of Famer was the only left-handed hitter in team history to launch 40 home runs in a season. Crow-Armstrong added his name to that exclusive list earlier this month.
In a 7-3 win over the Braves on Monday night, Crow-Armstrong took things one step further by launching his 42nd home run of the season to back a quality start from David Peterson . By doing so, the Cubs’ MVP candidate is now side-by-side with Williams for the most home runs in a single campaign by a lefty batter in the team’s long, storied history. Williams launched 42 in 1970.
Crow-Armstrong has had a lot of historic notes thrown his way in this incredible season of his. That one linked to Williams brings a smile to his face.
“With him being one of the most respected people to ever put this uniform on,” Crow-Armstrong said, “and how much I just enjoy being around him and having him around, when you match that up with accolades and what he’s done, that’s one I’ll buy into when you guys are like, ‘Hey, it’s you and Billy.’
“That’s really cool for me, because I really, really like him and enjoy his time.”
Against the Braves, Crow-Armstrong pieced together the type of game that has vaulted him to the forefront of the MVP debate in the National League, if it even can be called a debate at this point.
Crow-Armstrong roped a two-run double in the second to collect his 99th and 100th RBIs on the season. He singled and stole second base in the fourth, picking up his 37th steal to inch closer to the seventh 40-40 tour in MLB history. Then, in the sixth, Crow-Armstrong attacked an inside fastball from Braves righty AJ Smith-Shawver and sent it into the right-field bleachers for a two-run blast. He added another single in the eighth to cap off his four-hit night.
The homer was Crow-Armstrong’s 25th at Wrigley Field this season, trailing only Williams (28 in 1970) for the most at home in one year by a Cubs lefty-swinging batter.
The center fielder is also the first Cubs batter since Derrek Lee (2005) with at least 40 homers and 100 RBIs in a season. Within that 40-100 club for the Cubs, Crow-Armstrong is the only player in team history with 30-plus steals. Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg came closest in 1990, when he stole 25 bases.