MESA, Ariz. \u2014 Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong took some time during the offseason to improve his golf game.<\/p>\n
\u2018\u2018It was good, and then it was bad,\u2019\u2019 Crow-Armstrong told the Sun-Times. \u2018\u2018It\u2019s pretty bad right now, but I\u2019ve been playing a little bit. I got a lot better, considering the prior circumstances to my golf game. I can get around the course now.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n
His golf game mirrors the rhythms of his rookie season: some highs, some lows. As Crow-Armstrong enters what essentially will be his second season, he said he\u2019s trying to get the extremes out of his game.<\/p>\n
\u2018\u2018This offseason was focused on consistency,\u2019\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n
After being called up from Triple-A Iowa early last season to fill in for injured Cody Bellinger in center field, Crow-Armstrong returned to the minors for a 10-day stint before being summoned to the majors for good. Overall, he slashed .255\/.299\/.509 in 26 minor-league games last season.<\/p>\n
But big-league success eluded Crow-Armstrong in the first half of last season, during which he slashed .203\/.253\/.329. After claiming an everyday spot in July, however, Crow-Armstrong excelled for the rest of the season. From July 27 on, he slashed .289\/.336\/.469. He also cut down his strikeout rate during that stretch.<\/p>\n
Crow-Armstrong, a Gold Glove-caliber defender, credited the consistent playing time with his uptick in productivity. Minimizing his rough stretches at the plate is the next step in his offensive development.<\/p>\n
\u2018\u2018That was hugely important, having the time to suck and kind of figure it out and then suck again,\u2019\u2019 Crow-Armstrong said. \u2018\u2018It was just a good taste of what my career is gonna look like. Now it\u2019s kind of just about shortening those tough stints. I have a plethora of information going into Year 2, and I am very confident about that.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n
Finding that balance is tricky for the team and the player. The Cubs are in a window of playoff contention, so giving a developing player the leeway to struggle can be tough. Manager Craig Counsell said just seeing their name on the lineup card is the \u2018\u2018ultimate vote of confidence\u2019\u2019 for players.<\/p>\n
\u2018\u2018You\u2019re always trying to keep your head on the big picture,\u2019\u2019 Counsell said. \u2018\u2018When you\u2019re young and trying to figure the league out, you think everything that happens is the biggest deal in the world.<\/p>\n
\u2018\u2018All these guys have experienced some version of failure. Processing it at the big-league level is just a little bit harder. It\u2019s all of our jobs \u2014 players, coaches, myself \u2014 to help them through it the best way we can.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n
The Cubs went with a bullpen game in the opener of a two-game series against the Braves to end spring training.<\/p>\n
\u2022 It was a rough afternoon for veteran reliever Ryan Brasier<\/b>, who allowed four runs on three home runs and managed to get only one out. Cubs pitchers allowed 16 hits, and the Braves generated a lot of hard contact.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Infielder Gage Workman<\/b> continued his strong spring with a two-run homer in the second inning.<\/p>\n
\u2022 On deck:<\/b> Braves at Cubs, 3:05 p.m. Tuesday, Mesa, TBA vs. Ben Brown<\/b> (1-1, 6.75 ERA).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Big-league success eluded Crow-Armstrong in the first half of last season, during which he slashed .203\/.253\/.329. From July 27 on, however, he slashed .289\/.336\/.469.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":44021,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-44019","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb"],"yoast_head":"\n