PITTSBURGH \u2014 A giddy Pete Crow-Armstrong scanned the visitors clubhouse Wednesday afternoon at PNC Park to take in the boisterous scene.<\/p>\n
Crow-Armstrong, with ski goggles resting on the top of his head and eye black smeared across his face, tried to describe how he had envisioned the Chicago Cubs\u2019 postgame celebration after making the playoffs<\/a> for the first time in five years.<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t think I\u2019d be so cold, like, my feet are cold and it\u2019s making my upper body cold,\u201d a grinning, shirtless Crow-Armstrong said. \u201cJust picturing being able to give everybody a hug and let them know I appreciate them, and I feel like this moment has absolutely achieved that. So excited to do this today and then excited to forget about it and work to just achieve the ultimate end goal. This is the best.\u201d<\/p>\n Dozens of empty beer and champagne bottles filled carts in the center of the plastic-encased room. Matthew Boyd and Justin Turner broke out cigars moments after Cade Horton was doused in beer by Mois\u00e9s Ballesteros and Carlos Santana. Carson Kelly found plenty of victims to spray with champagne. And in the quieter moments within the rowdy atmosphere, hugs were exchanged among teammates, coaches and staff. Crow-Armstrong embraced Ian Happ, who told him this won\u2019t be the last time they experience this type of jubilation.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a grind of a season, and you celebrate your first goal accomplished, we\u2019ve made it to our first goal,\u201d manager Craig Counsell said. \u201cAnd that\u2019s exciting for everybody that\u2019s been a part of the grind the whole year, for everybody that\u2019s worked so hard to put us in this position, it\u2019s a fun thing to do.<\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t get to do this in regular jobs where you get to celebrate and throw champagne on each other. You just don\u2019t get to do it, right? And so you take advantage of and have fun with it, and enjoy each other and celebrate each other.\u201d<\/p>\n\n