Bruce Maxwell facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bruce Maxwell
Maxwell with the Acereros De Monclova in 2022
Free agent
Catcher
Born: (1990-12-20) December 20, 1990 (age 34) Wiesbaden, Germany
Bats: Left Throws: Right
debut
July 23, 2016, for the Oakland Athletics
MLB statistics
Batting average	.240
Home runs	5
Runs batted in	42
Teams
Oakland Athletics (2016–2018)

Bruce Maxwell is a professional baseball player. He was born in Germany on December 20, 1990. He played as a catcher for the Oakland Athletics in Major League Baseball (MLB). Bruce Maxwell is known for being the first MLB player to kneel during the national anthem. He did this to protest racial injustice.

Early Life and College Baseball

Bruce was born in Wiesbaden, Germany. His father was in the U.S. Army there. Bruce played baseball in high school. He played first base at Sparkman High School in Alabama. Later, he played first base and catcher in college. This was at Birmingham–Southern College in Alabama.

Professional Baseball Career

Bruce Maxwell has played for several teams. He started in the minor leagues. Then he played in Major League Baseball. He also played in the Mexican League.

Oakland Athletics (2012–2018)

The Oakland Athletics chose Bruce in the 2012 Major League Baseball draft. He was picked in the second round. He started playing in the minor leagues that year. He played for teams like the AZL Athletics and Vermont Lake Monsters.

In 2013, he played for the Beloit Snappers and Stockton Ports. He hit seven home runs that year. He also had 49 RBIs. Bruce continued to play in the minor leagues in 2014 and 2015.

Making it to the MLB (2016)

Bruce started 2016 with the Nashville Sounds. This is a Triple-A team. He was playing very well. He hit ten home runs. He also had 41 RBIs.

The Oakland Athletics called him up to the major leagues. This was on July 23, 2016. He played in 33 games for Oakland. He had a batting average of .283.

Playing in the MLB (2017)

Bruce started 2017 with Nashville again. He was called up to Oakland in June. He played in 76 games for the Athletics. He hit three home runs. He also had 22 RBIs.

Artistic interpretation of Bruce Maxwell Kneeling in 2017

On September 23, 2017, Bruce made history. He became the first MLB player to kneel. He knelt during the national anthem. He did this to protest racial injustice. His teammate, Mark Canha, supported him. The Oakland Athletics team also supported his right to protest.

Final Season with Oakland (2018)

Bruce started 2018 with Oakland. He played 20 games for the team. He was later released by the Athletics. He became a free agent.

Mexican League Teams

After leaving MLB, Bruce played in the Mexican League.

Acereros de Monclova (2019–2022)

In 2019, Bruce signed with the Acereros de Monclova. He had a great season there. He hit 24 home runs. He also had 112 RBIs. He helped the team win their first championship. This was called the Serie del Rey.

He re-signed with Monclova for 2020. But the season was canceled. This was due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He returned to Monclova in 2022. He played 44 games. He hit 10 home runs.

Other Mexican League Teams (2023–2024)

In 2023, Bruce played for the Piratas de Campeche. He then played for the Rieleros de Aguascalientes. In 2024, he signed with the Saraperos de Saltillo. He was released before the season started.

New York Mets (2020–2021)

In 2020, Bruce signed a minor league deal. This was with the New York Mets. He did not play that year. The minor league season was canceled. He re-signed with the Mets in 2020. In 2021, he played 9 games. This was for the Triple-A Syracuse Mets.

San Francisco Giants (2021)

In June 2021, Bruce was traded. He went to the San Francisco Giants. He had surgery in July. This was called Tommy John surgery. He missed the rest of the season. He became a free agent in November 2021.

World Baseball Classic

Maxwell 2022 WBC Qualifier - Regensburg, Germany

Bruce has played for Team Germany. He played in the World Baseball Classic Qualifiers. He played in 2016 and 2022. The 2020 qualifier was canceled.

Coaching Career

Toros de Tijuana (2024)

On April 10, 2024, Bruce became a coach. He joined the Toros de Tijuana in the Mexican League. He was their catching coach. He was 33 years old. He left the team in May 2024.

Awards and Honors

Bruce Maxwell has received several awards. These are for his baseball skills.

Images for kids

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  Maxwell with the Acereros De Monclova in 2022

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  Artistic interpretation of Bruce Maxwell Kneeling in 2017

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  Maxwell 2022 WBC Qualifier - Regensburg, Germany