Talk about being called out on strikes.
Two New York Mets broadcasters criticized a Chicago Cubs player for missing his team's Sunday game against the Cincinnati Reds to attend the memorial service for Turning Point USA CEO Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated on September 10 while speaking at a TPUSA event at Utah Valley State.
Is it too early in the article to suggest it was none of the announcers' damn business?
Let's begin with broadcaster Gary Cohen, who criticized Cubs player Matt Shaw — who had been scratched from the Cubs' Sunday game on Saturday night, by the way. Cohen's petty comments came during SNY's broadcast of the Mets' Tuesday night game against the Cubs.
Cohen began by calling Shaw's decision "weird" while the third baseman was at bat during the fourth inning. Cohen said:
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 race for any reason other than a family emergency, really strikes me as weird.
It should be noted that Cubs manager Craig Counsell said Shaw wasn't available because he was attending the funeral of a friend.
Couple of thoughts.
First, again, it was none of Cohen's business. Second, his comments were idiotic. Who was this clown to say who should leave what job to attend a funeral of a friend, or anyone else? And, third, prefacing his comment with "I don't want to talk about any of the politics of it" was, of course, talking about the politics of it.
Not to be outdone, Cohen's fellow Mets broadcaster Todd Zeile called Shaw's absence "unprecedented":
It's unusual, I think it's unprecedented at least from my experience as a player, and I think it made it a little more unusual that it was not revealed until after it came to issue because he was thought to be in the dugout and maybe available, and was not, and that's how it was revealed.
Question: How on earth does this guy know whether or not Shaw's absence was unprecedented in the history of baseball? He doesn't; there's no way he could.
Shaw explained to the Chicago Sun-Times why he attended Charlie's memorial service:
My connection with Charlie was through our [Christian] faith. 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.
Faith and character matter, Mr. Cohen and Mr. Zeille — and shame on both of you for sticking your noses where they don't belong.
Shaw also told the Sun-Times how he felt when he learned of Charlie's assassination:
When that happened, a lot of emotions came over me. ‘I didn’t foresee that happening. I don’t know how to describe everything that happened and 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.
Tough stuff, as it has been for untold numbers of people who supported Charlie and his organization.
Kirk, who was born in the Chicago suburb of Arlington Heights, was ‘‘one of the biggest Cubs fans I ever met," Shaw said, while adding that he received texts from Charlie after every game.
ALSO CHECK OUT: New Phrase Alert: Lefties Turning Charlie Kirk’s Memorial Into an Attack on Christians
Sometimes, it's best to keep your thoughts to yourself. This was one of those times.
When sports announcers, of all people — and I'm a big sports fan — run their mouths about something of which they obviously have zero knowledge, they're out of line. Then again, it probably wouldn't have mattered if they did.
By the way, do you think these two guys would've sounded off if Matt Shaw — or a Black player — had skipped a baseball game to attend the funeral of George Floyd? Me, neither.
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