Chicago Cubs infielder Matt Shaw says he’s fine with any backlash after missing the team’s game last Sunday to attend Charlie Kirk’s memorial, following criticism from New York Mets announcer Gary Cohen—who called his decision “weird”—and others. The Cubs lost 1-0 to the Cincinnati Reds that day, but Shaw defended missing the game, saying attending Kirk’s memorial was “really important” to him. “Whatever backlash comes is OK,” the 23-year-old told reporters on Tuesday. The Cubs rookie had been invited to the memorial by Kirk’s widow Erika; he and the late conservative activist became friends while living in the same Arizona apartment complex; “I feel strongly in my faith that (it) was meant to be,” Shaw said about attending the event, adding of Kirk that, “he texted me after every game, you know, ‘Great win for the Cubbies.’” In August, Kirk posted a photo on X captioned “Cubs Win!” posing with Shaw and Cubs first baseman Michael Busch. The Cubs rookie had team permission to attend Sunday’s memorial, where President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Erika Kirk were gave speeches.
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