Matt Shaw defends missing Cubs game for Charlie Kirk memorial service

Chicago Cubs third baseman Matt Shaw is “not concerned at all” about any backlash he could get after skipping a game to attend Charlie Kirk’s memorial in Arizona. 

Shaw missed the Cubs’ 1-0 loss to the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday to attend the memorial service in Glendale, though manager Craig Counsell mentioned to the media that Shaw wasn’t available for the game because he was at a funeral for a friend. 

Shaw explained why he made it a point to attend the memorial despite his team’s schedule.

“My connection with Charlie was through our [Christian] faith,” Shaw said before the Cubs opened a new series with the New York Mets Tuesday, per the Chicago Sun-Times. “And that’s something that drives me every day, the reason why I’m able to do what I do every day, and that’s something I’m extremely thankful for. 

“I know without my faith and without the many blessings I’ve been given in my life, that I wouldn’t be here, be able to talk to you guys, able to help this team eventually go and win championships.

“That’s something I feel really, really blessed about, so whatever backlash comes is OK. I feel strong about my faith and that what was meant to be happened.”

CUBS’ MATT SHAW LEAVES TEAM TO ATTEND CHARLIE KIRK MEMORIAL SERVICE: REPORTS

Shaw added that he and Kirk became friends last offseason as they lived in the same apartment complex in Arizona. The two stayed in contact throughout the MLB season, Shaw said. 

Shaw said he was emotional when he found out Kirk was assassinated while at a speaking event at Utah Valley University Sept. 10. 

“When that happened, a lot of emotions came over me,” he explained. “I didn’t foresee that happening. I don’t know how to describe everything that happened, how I was feeling, But I will say I was tearing up pretty good. I had a lot of [teammates] supporting me, and that will be something I’ll remember for my entire life.”

Shaw had been scratched from the Cubs’ lineup that night before a game against the Atlanta Braves. 

Kirk, a native of Arlington Heights, a northern suburb of Chicago, was “one of the biggest Cubs fans I ever Met,” according to Shaw. In fact, Shaw said it was Erika Kirk, his widow, who asked him to attend the memorial. After a conversation with Counsell and some teammates, Shaw felt his decision to attend was accepted. 

“The reason Charlie and I connected so close was because of our faith,” Shaw added. “That’s something that drives me every single day, something that I think about all the time. So, if people are wondering who I am and what I stand for, I’d say that my faith and the many blessings I’ve been given are why I’m able to be here, and I just want to make sure that I can give that back to people, that I can support people around me, that I can love people around me the same way that I’ve been blessed.”

The Cubs were among the MLB teams to pay tribute to Kirk, calling for an end to “all political violence.” 

The flag at Wrigley Field was flown at half-staff in accordance with MLB’s request that teams follow President Donald Trump’s presidential proclamation honoring Kirk.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.