Former A's Catcher Bruce Maxwell 'Not Surprised' MLB Didn't Support His Protest

In 2017, then-Oakland Athletics catcher Bruce Maxwell took a knee during the playing of the national anthem in solidarity with former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who did so a year prior as a protest against racial discrimination and police brutality. He was the first MLB player to do so.

On Wednesday, he called out MLB for waiting nine days to make any sort of statement following the killing of George Floyd, who had his neck kneeled on for nearly nine minutes by since-fired and arrested Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin during Floyd's arrest.

"Knock me if you want, but I think MLB finally came out and said something because so many people were hounding them to say something," he said on the A's Plus podcast, per Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. "It doesn't shock me they were the last sport to say something. When I did my thing, my team supported me at the time, but MLB didn't really back me."

Major League Baseball released the following statement Wednesday:

Maxwell, who last played at the MLB level in 2018 and now is playing in Mexico, said Tuesday that he still receives hate for taking a knee, even three years later, per Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area:

"I still have the messages. I had a kid the other day come out on my team and just said, 'Eff you,' on my Instagram. He was like, 'People like you are the problem that we have in this country.' I had a guy reach out to me last year... in the middle of my season, down here in Mexico, that told me that he hopes me and my family die a horrible death...

'Three years and I still get it. It's the hate. It's the hate."

The 29-year-old has played well in the Mexican League, hitting .325 this past season with 24 home runs and 112 RBI for Acereros de Monclova. He was also an All-Star. 

However, a return to the big leagues may be tougher after he hit only .240 with five homers and 42 RBI in 127 games across three seasons with the Athletics (2016-18).