Cubs' Matt Shaw explains decision to attend Charlie Kirk memorial: 'That was really important to my faith'

CHICAGO — Two days after leaving the team to attend Charlie Kirk’s memorial in Arizona, Chicago Cubs third baseman Matt Shaw stood in front of his locker Tuesday afternoon at Wrigley Field and explained his decision to miss Sunday’s game in Cincinnati.

Shaw said he has known Kirk, a conservative podcaster, founder of Turning Point USA and close ally of President Donald Trump, since the offseason while living in the same apartment complex in Arizona. Kirk’s wife, Erika, reached out to Shaw asking if he would come to the memorial, which he attended with his wife, Danielle.

Shaw said he spoke with president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer and manager Craig Counsell about leaving the team for the memorial and discussed the situation with four or five Cubs veterans because he felt turmoil over whether to go. He asked those unnamed teammates what he should do and said they gave him a lot of support and really good advice in those moments.

Shaw then informed five or six other teammates what was going on and where he would be Sunday so they wouldn’t be surprised when he wasn’t at Great American Ball Park for the series finale, a 1-0 loss to the Cincinnati Reds that resulted in a four-game sweep of the Cubs as they try to lock down the top National League wild-card spot over the San Diego Padres.

“I made sure that everybody I talked to, I had their support, that they knew why I was going, that I wasn’t leaving just to leave, that it was something that was really important to my faith,” Shaw said. “It was really nice to see how everyone was able to support me in that moment.

“I felt as though it was something that was really important for me to do. … I was very thankful for how the team responded, allowing me to do that was really special.”

Shaw’s absence required team approval because it did not meet the qualifications for Major League Baseball’s bereavement list. The collective bargaining agreement limits that to a serious or severe illness or death in a player’s immediate family (spouse, parent, grandparent, sibling, child or grandchild) or in a player’s spouse’s immediate family.

“In my career, when a player has felt it’s important to attend a memorial service or funeral, if it’s that important to the player and it’s part of their grieving process, then we want to be supportive of that,” Hoyer said.

What does Shaw say to Cubs fans who are disappointed he attended Kirk’s memorial and missed a game?

“I don’t think it’s just fans, I think it’s people in general that I’m going to continue to try to support in any way I can,” Shaw said. “Disappointment is something natural for people you disagree with, and that’s OK. I think any way that I can support them and love them, I’m going to do that.”

Asked whether he is concerned about backlash because of the politics involved, Shaw said, “I’m not concerned at all.”

“My connection with Charlie was through our faith, that’s something that drives me every day,” Shaw said. “That’s 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, able to talk to you guys, able to help this team eventually go and win championships. So that’s something I feel really, really blessed about.

“Whatever backlash comes is OK. I feel strong about my faith in that what was meant to be happened.”

Shaw confirmed the reason he had been scratched from the Cubs lineup on Sept. 10 in Atlanta for personal reasons was due to the emotions that came over him after Kirk, 31, was shot and killed hours earlier while speaking at a Utah college. The 23-year-old rookie later entered that game in the eighth inning as a pinch hitter.

“I don’t know how to describe everything that happened and how I was feeling (Sept. 10), but I will say that I was tearing up pretty good and I had a lot of guys come on this team that were supporting me, and that will be something I remember for my entire life is how everyone responded to what I was going through,” Shaw said. “Those are friends and moments that you have with people that create a bond for a long time, and I’m really thankful for the way that my teammates were able to be there for me.”

Shaw described Kirk, who graduated from suburban Wheeling High School, located in Wheeling, Ill., as “one of the biggest Cubs fans I ever met” and that he was “super supportive” of the Cubs. Kirk texted Shaw after every Cubs game. Kirk, in a Cubs hat, took an on-field photo with Shaw, who was giving a thumbs up, and first baseman Michael Busch after attending an Aug. 20 game at Wrigley Field, which he shared to his X account and captioned “Cubs win!”

“Having his support through this season, knowing just our fan base in general how much support we’ve had for this team and knowing he was a part of that, I think that was a big part of our friendship,” Shaw said.

Kirk’s legacy has become the subject of public disagreement, with conservatives hailing him as a champion of free speech and liberals spotlighting his messaging that often incorporated racist, misogynistic and homophobic language.

Shaw said he had not followed Kirk’s content, which includes podcasts and videos, because he hasn’t had any social media accounts for the last four years. He was then asked if he had heard anything since Kirk’s death about his content.

“I think that he talks about a lot of really big questions, I think that everyone thinks about a lot of things like you’re asking, and the reason Charlie and I connected so close was because of our faith, and that’s something that drives me every single day,” Shaw replied. “That’s 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 is 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 and the reason I’m in this situation, and I’m very thankful for that.”

Trump was among the speakers during Sunday’s memorial at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. At one point, Trump recalled Kirk saying to him, “Please, sir, save Chicago,” to which the president, who has threatened to deploy the National Guard to the city, told the attendees, “We’re gonna do that, we’re gonna save Chicago from horrible crime.”

Having been present for Trump’s comments about the city, Shaw was questioned about whether he felt comfortable living in Chicago.

“I am comfortable living here,” Shaw said. “Yeah, that part of it, there was a lot of other people that spoke about their faith, and that was the most powerful part for me were the people who spoke about their faith and about how important their faith was to them.”

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