Los Angeles Dodgers co-owner Magic Johnson offered his congratulations to Mookie Betts on winning the Roberto Clemente Award, just minutes before the first pitch of Game 3 of the World Series.
“I want to congratulate LA @Dodgers Shortstop Mookie Betts on receiving the Roberto Clemente Award!” Johnson wrote via X.
The award is given annually to the player who best embodies the principals of the late Hall of Famer, meaning they “best [represent] the game of Baseball through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions, both on and off the field,” according to MLB.com.
Betts certainly appears to be a deserving winner as a player who keeps plenty busy off the field with his charity work. The eight-time All-Star founded the 5050 Foundation in 2021, helping underserved youth with mental and emotional health, nutrition, financial literacy and fitness. He also donated $30,000 in Nike apparel to victims of the LA wildfires earlier this year and contributed another $160,000 to hunger and homeless initiatives in the city.
Back in his home city of Nashville, Betts has started an AAU basketball team and has helped fund a total of six in the area.
And that's just some of what Betts has done.
“It means a lot,” Betts said of the award, via MLB.com. “Life is about more than what you do, I think, as far as work. It's about how you affect people. People always remember how you make them feel. So I know we live by that.”
“It's really cool just to be able to hold up this award,” he added, “and to know that this had nothing to do with baseball.”
His manager, Dave Roberts, has had a front row seat to Betts' performance on and off the field since he came over from the Boston Red Sox in 2019.
“This is a huge honor,” Roberts said. “I think every athlete will say they're people first and playing baseball is what he does for a living. But a humanitarian award like this … to get this Roberto Clemente Award is quite the achievement.”
