On Saturday, Oakland Athletics rookie Bruce Maxwell became the first MLB player to take a knee in protest during the national anthem. If a player on the Los Angeles Dodgers follows suit, don’t expect manager Dave Roberts to readily offer his support.

Speaking to the media before Sunday’s game against the Giants, Roberts said he would take issue with a player not standing for the National Anthem. In doing so, Roberts cited his father’s service as a Marine.

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Like Cubs manager Joe Maddon, who voiced concerns that the backlash against President Donald Trump is becoming dangerous, Roberts is entitled to his position. What he’s likely to be criticized most for is the apparent suggestion that many athletes in other sports are taking part in protests without thinking through the process.

To this point, it seems pretty clear those who have initiated these protests are well educated, are comfortable taking a knee for their beliefs, and are very aware that it’s part of their freedom as Americans.

It’s a stance Bruce Maxwell certainly didn’t take lightly. It’s said he gathered all of his teammates before Saturday’s game to make sure they were comfortable with his stance, and to explain why he decided this was the time to do it.

To this point, no other player has following Maxwell’s example. But it will be interesting if that changes in the days ahead.

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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at bigleaguestew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!

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