Cubs player defends attending Charlie Kirk’s funeral 

Chicago Cubs infielder Matt Shaw defended his decision to miss a crucial game in the playoff race to attend the funeral of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

Shaw didn’t play in Sunday’s game against the Cincinnati Reds, which the Cubs lost 1-0. The Cubs are competing for the top wild card spot in the National League and homefield advantage in the playoffs’ first round.

Kirk’s memorial service took place in Arizona. Shaw said he attended after receiving an invitation from Kirk’s widow, Erika.

The rookie third baseman explained he got to know Kirk, an Illinois native, when they lived in the same apartment complex in Arizona and bonded through their shared Christian faith, The Guardian reported.

“My connection with Charlie was through our faith,” Shaw told reporters. “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.”

The Cubs were not allowed to replace Shaw on the roster for Sunday’s game because the bereavement list only applies when a player loses a family member.

Shaw said he discussed the matter with his teammates and manager before traveling.

Cubs outfielder Ian Happ said he understood the decision.

“For him to go and be a part of a celebration of life and grieve, from a human level, I understand it,” Happ told the Chicago Sun-Times. “We’re baseball players, and that takes up a ton of our life, but there’s a huge human element to this game, and it’s really hard to lose a friend and really hard to lose someone you’re close to.”

Others criticized Shaw’s absence.

New York Mets broadcaster Gary Cohen did so during Tuesday night’s broadcast on regional sports network SNY.

“I don’t want to talk about any of the politics of it, but the thought of leaving your team in the middle of a [playoff] race for any reason other than a family emergency, really strikes me as weird,” he said.

The Cubs drafted Shaw with the 13th overall pick in 2023. He is hitting .224 with 12 home runs this season.

As of Wednesday afternoon, the Cubs are 88-69 and have clinched a playoff berth. They currently hold the top wild card spot in the National League, seven games ahead of the final playoff position.