Jim Edmonds, a former star in Major League Baseball, takes patriotism seriously. And while speaking in an interview with OutKick’s Tomi Lahren, he said he has zero tolerance when it comes to disrespecting the U.S., and that he wouldn’t have tolerated it in a clubhouse he was playing in.
Edmonds was in MLB for a total of 17 campaigns, becoming one of the greatest defensive center fielders the game of baseball has ever laid its eyes on. Throughout his career, Edmonds won eight Gold Gloves, clocked out almost 400 home runs and was also a four-time All-Star.
Talking with Lahren, Edmonds said it wasn’t only his on-field production that meant a lot to him, but also highlighting the respect he has for the American flag and the U.S. National Anthem. (RELATED: Sen. Eric Schmitt Left Bloodied Following Incredible Catch As GOP Hammers Democrats In Congressional Baseball Game)
Edmonds and Lahren spoke about whether or not baseball has gotten “political,” and how the George Floyd protests and summer of 2020 was treated by players and culture.
The St. Louis Cardinals legend acknowledged that MLB has went through some changes, taking their talk into his own beliefs.
National Anthem Should Be “Non Negotiable”
Cardinal Hall of Famer Jim Edmonds has zero leeway for kneeling: “Stand up and salute the flag. That’s what we were taught.”@TomiLahren pic.twitter.com/CJ3JRdQRAo
— Tomi Lahren is Fearless (@TLisFearless) June 11, 2026
“Well, I think that people have figured out that it’s great to do that in recognition of those people, but you’re also supposed to be recognizing, let’s say from my beliefs, the National Anthem,” said Edmonds.
“There’s a reason why we play the National Anthem every day. There’s a reason why we stand up and salute. It’s no different than when you see President [Donald] Trump and the Army walking by. They’re saluting each other … That’s what we do, that’s what we’re taught. I don’t really have any leeway for that.”
Edmonds said that if a teammate would have pulled a Colin Kaepernick while he was the captain of a clubhouse, he would’ve had an issue with it and would’ve taken it on directly in the form of a conversation.
“When I was supposed to be like the captain, if someone was doing that on our team, which we never had anything like that, I would present myself and say, ‘Hey, what’s going on? You need to continue the education on why we’re standing. I understand what you’re trying to do, but what are we really doing?’” said Edmonds.