Phillies players have remained on the sideline despite national unrest
Social activism and athletes protesting during the National Anthem has garnered international attention in recent years across the sports landscape. Starting with San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick last season athletes have been using their platforms to promote civil equality.
Similar protests have popped up around the NFL and the NBA, but not until Saturday has Major League Baseball seen action being taken on the field.
Oakland Athletics catcher Bruce Maxwell made history despite not taking a single pitch. The 26-year-old took a knee prior to a 1-0 victory over Texas, making him the first MLB player to follow in Kaepernick’s footsteps.
Born in Germany into a military family, Maxwell grew up in Alabama and was a second-round pick for Oakland in 2012 out of Birmingham-Southern College. He’s seen little major league action, appearing in just over 100 games over two seasons with a .256 career batting average.
Bruce Maxwell (@bruu_truu13) on his decision to kneel for tonight's National Anthem:https://t.co/mXBrnopHIv pic.twitter.com/tHeyfoRI96
— A's on NBCS (@NBCSAthletics) September 24, 2017
Now that precedent has been set in baseball, will anyone on the Phillies join Maxwell in kneeling or showing some form of protest with just seven games remaining this season?
No players have made any statements on social media following President Trump’s latest statements regarding athletes protesting the national anthem. It’s likely the team has already discussed issues such as social activism and protest.
However, with the President’s latest comments and Maxwell’s decision to kneel, a new discussion may be held in the locker room.
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If anyone does make any form of statement during the final week of the season, expect teammates to rally support going into the offseason.