Hayden Panettiere Was Pete Crow-Armstrong’s Coolest Childhood Babysitter

A fascinating pop-culture crossover has resurfaced connecting Chicago Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong with TV star Hayden Panettiere. Long before the 24-year-old athlete was making big plays in Major League Baseball, he was hanging around television soundstages in Southern California. According to reports, the young baseball star actually had Panettiere as a babysitter during the height of her television stardom. Crow-Armstrong’s connection to the entertainment world runs deep through his family roots. His parents, actors Ashley Crow and Matthew John Armstrong, both earned recurring roles on NBC’s hit drama series *Heroes*. Panettiere was the standout lead of the popular show, playing cheerleader Claire Bennet. Because both of his parents were working on the project, the future professional athlete spent a significant amount of his early years visiting the set.

The professional baseball player previously opened up about his memorable childhood experiences during a 2022 interview with NBC Chicago. Crow-Armstrong confessed that he harbored a giant crush on Panettiere while she watched over him on set. He praised her as the ultimate babysitter, calling her the coolest person who ever took care of him while his parents were busy filming. Growing up in that environment left a lasting impression on the center fielder. He remembered spending endless hours on the *Heroes* set and thoroughly enjoying the atmosphere. Crow-Armstrong recalled that hanging around older cast members was a blast, and he loved being looked after by his mother’s co-stars while they worked on the NBC drama.

BUZZBEAT

Even though he spent a lot of time around famous sets, Crow-Armstrong’s upbringing was intentionally kept low-key. His parents made a deliberate effort to keep their daily life grounded and quiet, ensuring their son was kept far away from the traditional Hollywood lifestyle. They chose not to live in the heart of the entertainment capital or expose their family to the public spotlight. Reflecting on his childhood, the Cubs player admitted that his early years felt completely disconnected from show business despite his parents' professions. Ashley Crow and Matthew John Armstrong worked hard to ensure their son had a completely normal life outside of his set visits. That grounded environment ultimately allowed him to focus on sports and forge his own path all the way to the big leagues.