Ahead of Saturday’s game, Oakland Athletics catcher Bruce Maxwell joined NFL players in protest and became the first MLB player to kneel during the national anthem.
Maxwell, 26, is a rookie catcher who hails from a military family, and has been described as “highly patriotic” by the San Francisco Chronicle. He was born in Wiesbaden, Germany, where his father was stationed in the army. He is African-American and chose to kneel in solidarity with NFL players after president Donald Trump called for the ‘firing’ of players who have chosen to peacefully protest.