BREAKING: Matt Shaw sheds tears in memory of Charlie Kirk after defeat – “I promised him I would bring him a championship… but I let Charlie down”.y1

“He told me, ‘Just believe, Matt, one day you’ll be standing under the World Series lights.’ Today, the lights are still shining… but Charlie is no longer there to see it.” – Matt Shaw, choking up in the press room after the Chicago Cubs’ bitter defeat.

As the Dodgers and Yankees prepared to enter the World Series, the Cubs locker room fell silent. No one spoke, only the sighs of those who had just let go of their dreams. In the midst of that heavy atmosphere, Matt Shaw, the team’s most anticipated young rookie, sat silently for a long time before saying the words that left the entire sports world speechless.

“I promised Charlie Kirk – my brother, my friend, the man who believed in me when no one knew who I was – that I would bring him a championship. But now… I can’t keep my word.”

Shaw paused, his eyes red. Behind him, the scoreboard still flashed the numbers of the fateful loss.

Charlie Kirk – the founder of Turning Point USA and one of the most prominent figures in America – tragically died just weeks before the end of the season. His death sent shockwaves not only in politics but also in the sports world, where people like Shaw once looked up to him as a mentor.

“Charlie was more than just a friend,” Shaw continued. “He always texted after every game, always encouraged me. When I was in Triple-A, he said, ‘Don’t be afraid to lose, play with your heart.’ I tried… but today, my heart really hurts.”

Shaw made waves when he left the team midseason to attend Charlie Kirk’s memorial service, a controversial but humane decision. Now, with the season ending without a World Series berth, the story is even more haunting.

In a brief speech, manager Craig Counsell said only one thing: “He was fighting for something bigger than himself – and that’s what made Matt special.”

Shaw’s career is still in its early stages, but the way he expressed his emotions today suggests that sometimes baseball isn’t just about winning or losing. It’s about promises, about memories, and about the people who have been with us on that journey.

Cubs fans flooded social media with the hashtag #ForCharlie, sharing videos of Shaw in the dugout clutching his face, his glove falling from his hand, his eyes looking up at the sky. One fan wrote: “He didn’t lose. He was just fighting for someone who’s not here.”

On the final evening of the season, as the lights went out at Wrigley Field, Shaw lingered. He walked along the bleachers where Charlie Kirk had sat to watch a game earlier in the year. “I know he’s watching,” he said softly, touching the iron fence. “But I wish… I could tell him we did it.”

No one answered, just the wind blowing gently across the field and the streetlights illuminating the young player’s face. A season was over, but promises—and friends—would live on in his heart.

And as Shaw whispered before leaving the field:
“Charlie, I can’t bring you that championship ring yet. But I swear, next year… I won’t let you down again.”