Billy Williams salutes PCA’s evolution during historic Cubs season

Cubs Hall of Famer Billy Williams let out a gregarious laugh, a mix of amazement and incredulousness, when trying to describe what it has been like watching Pete Crow-Armstrong’s stellar season.

Williams, 88, understands what goes into an MVP-level performance after finishing as the National League runner-up in 1970 and 1972.

“When I first saw Pete play and I looked at the speed and I said, ‘He’s a player that’s going to be a catalyst for this ballclub, he can run, he can steal bases,'” Williams told the Tribune during a phone conversation Friday. “But little did I think about him hitting 43 home runs — it gives me a great thrill to see an individual come along like that.”

Crow-Armstrong made history Wednesday night at Wrigley Field when he broke Williams’ team record for the most home runs by a left-handed hitter in a season. Of course, Crow-Armstrong accomplished the feat in emphatic fashion, going deep twice in a Cubs win. Williams watched the record-breaking performance on TV from his home in Glen Ellyn and called Crow-Armstrong after the game to congratulate the 24-year-old.

“I told him how much I appreciate that, doing it as a player for himself and for the current organization,” Williams said. “When I talked to him, I said, ‘I wish I was at the ballpark and chanting with the people when they chanted ‘M-V-P!, M-V-P!’ I would have been right there saying that because I really think he’s had a tremendous year and the year’s not over yet. He’s having Most Valuable Player numbers and he’s got to be considered that way.”

It took 56 years for a fellow lefty to break Williams’ 42-homer mark from 1970. He thought Kyle Schwarber would have been the one to do it had the Cubs not parted ways with the slugger, especially once the designated hitter position came to the NL. But Crow-Armstrong, through an incredible early-season approach adjustment combined with tweaks to his stance and hand placement, keeps putting on a show with his power production.

Crow-Armstrong entered Saturday hitting .280 with a .372 on-base percentage, .948 OPS, 44 home runs, 29 doubles, 105 RBIs and 115 runs scored.

“When I first saw him swinging the bat, I knew it was going to be tough because the wind will be coming off the lake a lot and you have to hit line drives,” Williams said. “But when I saw him hit the ball, jumping off his bat, and he didn’t hit the ball that high many times he hit line drives, and this is what you’ve got to do at Wrigley Field because the wind dictates where the ball’s going.

“Any time a player has that many home runs at Wrigley Field, it’s exciting and tough to do.”

Crow-Armstrong’s 27 homers at Wrigley trail only Schwarber (28) for the most hit in a player’s home park this season. He will have a chance to add on to the number during the Cubs’ final three home games this upcoming week against the Miami Marlins. His long-ball total is tied for eighth in a season during the ballpark’s history and the most since Moisés Alou had 29 in 2004.

Crow-Armstrong has gotten to know Williams a bit over the years with the Cubs great a regular presence around the team each spring training. The two even serendipitously have shared the same jersey number: Williams wore No. 4 at the start of his big-league career during the 18 games of his 1959 debut season. He typically doesn’t like talking about milestone moments, but Crow-Armstrong, speaking Monday after tying Williams’ home run record, appreciates his connection to the greatest left-handed hitter in the franchise’s storied history.

“That’ll be cool as I possibly continue to do more things like that where I find myself in the same conversation as guys like him,” Crow-Armstrong said. “It’s great that he continues to represent the Cubs. At the same time, I think he’d want me to surpass him and his numbers so if that homer’s going to mean anything, I’m glad I could hit that one for Billy.”

Williams equated Crow-Armstrong and the “what’s he going to do next?” factor to Sammy Sosa and the thrill Cubs fans experienced whenever he came to the plate.

“When Sammy was hitting all those home runs, when Sammy didn’t come to the plate in the ninth inning, people would be leaving the ballpark,” Williams said. “When Harry Caray sang ‘Take Me Out To The Ballgame’ and there wasn’t anything going on out there (on the field), people would leave and go home. It’s going to be like that with Pete exciting the fans. If he’s not coming up to the plate in the eighth or ninth inning, you’re going to see a lot of people just, I’ve had enough today. It’s a great thing.

“It intrigued me to see the progression that he’s doing — he’s outstanding, and of course he excites the fans that come to the ballpark, 40,000 fans, and of course he excites me when he’s playing. He’s a player you always talk about you pay to go see, and Pete’s going to be one of those kind of players.”

As the Cubs continue to move closer to clinching a playoff spot and trying to secure the No. 1 wild-card position to host a best-of-three series, Williams plans to be at Wrigley for any postseason games. He always appreciates the love he receives from Cubs fans around the ballpark, noting, “Playing in Chicago, you did what you could to help the ball club win and although we didn’t win a World Series, when they see the statue of a Hall of Famer, they know you played your heart out and you did the things you thought will help the ballclub win.”

A deep postseason run for the Cubs will likely need a superstar-level performance from Crow-Armstrong on the heels of what will likely be crowned an MVP during awards season in November.

Williams sees this as just the beginning for Crow-Armstrong.

“Oh, his ceiling is high, all he’s got to do is stay healthy,” Williams said. “Ain’t no telling what this kid is going to do in Chicago.”