“From Tinseltown to Wrigley”: The Incredible Real-Life Tale Tying Actress Ashley Crow to Cubs Phenom Pete Crow-Armstrong.vc
Heywood in the film, is now cheering her real-life son, Pete Crow-Armstrong, as he emerges as the Chicago Cubs’ breakout sensation in 2025. What began as a fictional tale of a kid managing a major league team has evolved into a mother’s pride watching her own prodigy chase stardom at Wrigley Field.
A Reel Mom’s Real-Life MVP
In Little Big League, Ashley Crow portrayed Jenny Heywood, the supportive single mom navigating her son Billy’s whirlwind ascent from Little League phenom to Twins skipper. The film’s charm lay in its underdog spirit—much like the Cubs’ own lore of curse-breaking triumphs. Fast-forward to 2025, and Crow, now 63, is living a sequel: Her son Pete, 23, has slashed his way to a historic season with the Cubs, posting 31 home runs (5th in NL), 95 RBIs (T-2nd), 35 stolen bases (3rd), and elite defense that ranks him 2nd in Defensive WAR. Born in 2002—eight years after the movie’s release—Pete was drafted by the Mets in 2020 (1st round, 19th overall), traded to Chicago in 2021, and called up in September 2023, making Ashley the mom of an MLB player three decades post-premiere.
Crow’s acting roots run deep: A veteran of 47 roles, she’s best known for Sandra Bennett in Heroes (where she met Pete’s father, actor Matthew John Armstrong), plus films like Minority Report and The Good Son. Armstrong, who appeared in American Horror Story and an episode of House, shares the family’s creative lineage—ironic for a kid whose destiny was forged on baseball fields, not soundstages. “My parents are both actors, but baseball was my escape,” Pete reflected in a May 2025 MLB.com interview, crediting Ashley for catching his early pitches—reaching 70 mph by age 11—in their backyard, a nod to Jenny Heywood’s supportive sideline presence.
From Backyard Dreams to Breakout Stardom
Pete’s path mirrors Little Big League‘s whimsy with gritty realism. A Harvard-Westlake High standout, he bypassed college for pro ball, honing his tools in the minors: .283 average, 20 homers, 37 steals, and an .876 OPS in 2023 before his debut. By 2025, he’s the Cubs’ center-field cornerstone, leading the NL Central charge with a 40-40 pace that evokes Ryne Sandberg and Sammy Sosa, and topping MVP odds at +600. Despite postseason hiccups (.185 in eight games), Pete’s maturity shines: “This is just the beginning,” he told CBS Sports post-All-Star break.
For Ashley, the parallels are poetic. “It’s surreal—playing a mom to a baseball dreamer, then watching it happen,” she shared in a 2023 Reddit AMA amid Pete’s call-up buzz. Fans on X have dubbed it “baseball’s full-circle moment,” with viral posts like “From movie mom to MLB mom—PCA’s script writes itself!” racking up millions of views. Pete echoes the film’s ethos: “Mom taught me to chase dreams with heart,” he said ahead of Mother’s Day 2025, tipping his cap to her influence amid his Gold Glove-caliber season
