CHICAGO, Il. (LEX 18) — Almost a year after 37-year-old Matthew Strickland died saving a young girl struggling in the Cumberland River, the Chicago Cubs honored the Whitley County father's heroism by inviting his daughter to throw out the first pitch at Wrigley Field.
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Matthew was a father of three and a devout Cubs fan. As a tribute to him, his wife Mackenzie and daughter Sadie took a trip to Chicago to see a Cubs game.
Ahead of their trip, Mackenzie reached out to the Cubs hoping for a small gesture, such as a seat upgrade for Sadie, to make the game extra special as they memorialized Matthew at his favorite place.
"I just emailed them and I said, 'My daughter and I are coming to the game, and kind of told them the story about my husband and how he had lost his life last year,'" Mackenzie said.
In April 2025, Matthew Strickland died while rescuing a little girl from the Cumberland River. For the family, healing has come one day at a time.
"Grief doesn't have a timeline," said Mackenzie. "Grief will just hit just in the middle of the grocery store or you can wake up and just know you're going to have a sad day, you know?"
The trip to Chicago was meant to lift their spirits, but the surprise went beyond a small perk.
"As I was driving up, I picked up my phone and the caller ID said 'Chicago Cubs' and I was just like 'There's no way,'" Mackenzie said.
A representative from the team invited Sadie to throw out the first pitch at Monday night's game.
"Representing the life of Matthew Strickland, please welcome daughter Sadie Strickland," the stadium announcer said as Sadie approached the pitcher's mound.
In addition to throwing out the first pitch, the Cubs let Sadie watch batting practice, meet some players, hang out with the mascot, and take home a couple of baseballs.
"For her to have this experience and do that in memory of him, it doesn't lessen the grief, but it gives us hope that he is still watching over us," Mackenzie said.
