Mets Announcer Baffled Matt Shaw Skipped Cubs Game For Charlie Kirk Memorial

Gary Cohen dove headfirst into controversy Tuesday night, expressing bewilderment at Matt Shaw's decision to miss Sunday's Cubs game for his buddy Charlie Kirk's memorial service, and the Mets announcer is catching heat.

"Shaw had Cubs World in a tizzy this weekend when he was not here for the Cubs game with the Reds, and they lost 1-0, and his lack of presence was felt. It was later revealed that he had been given permission to attend Charlie Kirk's funeral," Cohen said in the 4th inning, as the 23-year-old was at the plate.

"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."

The comments immediately struck a nerve, with many (speaking of "weird") finding it strange the announcer would openly question a person mourning their friend's horrific murder, ballplayer or not.

Charlie -- a huge Cubs fan -- and Matt were close since meeting last offseason in Arizona, where the guys lived in the same complex. Kirk and Shaw, according to the Cubbies' rookie, remained in contact throughout the season.

Baseball aside, the men were connected by their faith.

Before Cohen aired out his beef on the mic, Shaw briefly explained his decision to skip the Reds game.

"I felt as though it was something that was really important for me to do."