Good evening. It’s another good night here at BCB After Dark: the hippest spot for night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. We’re glad to see that you stopped by. Please come on in out of the cold or wet. Let us take your coat for you. We still have a few tables available. The hostess can seat you now. Bring your own beverage.
BCB After Dark is the place for you to talk baseball, music, movies, or anything else you need to get off your chest, as long as it is within the rules of the site. The late-nighters are encouraged to get the party started, but everyone else is invited to join in as you wake up the next morning and into the afternoon.
Advertisement
Last night I asked you which non-roster invitee outfielder was the most likely to make an impact on the 2026 Cubs. While the comments seemed to favor Chas McCormick, he only got 30 percent of the vote. In first place was Dylan Carlson, who brought in 51 percent of the vote. Michael Conforto got the other 19 percent.
On Tuesday night/Wednesday mornings, I don’t normally do any movie stuff. But I always have time for jazz, so those of you who want to skip that can do so now.
Tonight we’re featuring one of those NPR Tiny Desk Concerts (support public radio!) featuring the young saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins. (Twenty-eight is a baby in the jazz world!) There’s a lot of young jazz talent coming out these days and Wilkins seems like he could be the next great jazz artist from Philadelphia, of which there seems to be a lot. He already has one Grammy nomination.
Wilkins is on alto sax, Micah Thomas plays piano, Ryoma Takenaga in on the bass and the drummer is Kweku Sumbry.
Advertisement
This video was just posted earlier today.
Welcome back to everyone who skips the music.
Chicago Magazine was out with a profile of Pete Crow-Armstrong this week that is worth your effort to read, if you haven’t already. The overall tone of the article paints PCA as both what you see on the field—fiery, emotional, dedicated to winning, self-critical—but also that he has a more thoughtful side that can be quite critical of that other side of himself. It also shows Crow-Armstrong as someone who is firmly embracing Chicago and the Chicago life while not completely cutting himself off from his Southern California roots.
Advertisement
What’s getting the most attention however, is Crow-Armstrong’s out-of-nowhere diss of Dodgers fans.
[Chicago is} 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.
To be clear, the writer, Wayne Drehs, did not ask Pete about Dodgers fans. This came unsolicited. This is also a stereotype of Dodgers fans that we’ve all heard before—and is also something said about fans of pretty much every popular baseball team, including the Cubs. But in Crow-Armstrong’s case, it’s also a slam on his hometown team.
This has kicked up a hornet’s nest. Steve Henson wrote about it for the Los Angeles Times. Maddie Lee wrote about it for the Sun-Times. Even Jordan Bastian had to mention it for MLB dot com. There are many other publications that took the time to write about it because, frankly, it’s a slow news day for baseball. Reporters are always looking for something outside of the “I’m in the best shape of my life and optimistic about the upcoming season” quotes that you normally get in Spring Training.
So Pete Crow-Armstrong gave the Dodgers bulletin board material and Dodgers fans reason to boo the hometown boy. He likely doesn’t care. As the article noted, his Cubs-loving father forbade him from being a Dodgers fan growing up.
Advertisement
But PCA’s brashness also comes on the field. We’ve all seen him reacting poorly to striking out. We’ve also seen him running on the field so quickly after a walkoff that he’s in danger of getting called for interference. (Hasn’t happened yet.) He’s also not one to back down from a slight, real or perceived. As Crow-Armstrong says in the article:
I’m sure I come off like a douche sometimes, . . .That’s how I present my fun to people, I guess. I’m not loud anywhere else. I’m not riled up anywhere else. That’s where I get to do that stuff. So hell yeah, I rub people the wrong way.
So tonight’s question is “Does Pete Crow-Armstrong need to tone it down?” No one is saying he needs to become as cool and collected as Jason Heyward all of a sudden, but does he need to tone down his on-the-field antics? Maybe wait a second before rushing onto the field? Maybe not slam his bat down on the ground after striking out? Maybe he could praise Cubs fans as the best in the world without giving the Dodgers bulletin board material?
From the article, it sounds like Pete himself would like to rein himself in a little. He speaks about how he wants to be a team leader one day like Nico Hoerner, Ian Happ and Dansby Swanson.
Or do you like fiery Pete the way he is now? Maybe you don’t want him to do anything that gets him ejected or costs the team a run, but is showing emotion on the field just fine with you? Do you like that he takes shots at the Dodgers?
Advertisement
Thanks for stopping by tonight. If you’re coming from where they got that storm, we hope you were able to dig yourself out. Please be extra safe getting yourselves home. We can get your coat for you now. Recycle any cans and bottles. Tip your waitstaff. And join us again tomorrow evening for more BCB After Dark.
