A’s catcher Bruce Maxwell, an African American who became the first major-leaguer to kneel during the national anthem Sept. 23, told TMZsports.com that he and two people with whom he was dining were refused service by a waiter at an Alabama restaurant because of his protest.
Maxwell ordered a beer with his lunch, and the waiter asked for driver’s licenses from everyone at the table, said Huntsville, Ala., city councilman Devyn Keith, who was with Maxwell at the restaurant. When the waiter saw Maxwell’s ID, the waiter told the group he wouldn’t serve them, Keith said.
The incident happened this month, shortly after Maxwell returned to his Alabama home following the season, Maxwell said.