Mookie Betts wore a No. 21 Los Angeles Dodgers jersey against the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday as part of MLB celebrating Roberto Clemente Day (every Sept. 15) and due to being a nominee for the award in the Hall of Famer’s namesake.
MLB permits nominees and previous recipients of the award to wear a 21 jersey. Puerto Rican natives are also allowed to wear the number in honor of Clemente, which Kiké Hernández again took advantage of.
Betts went 1-for-3 with a home run and three RBI in the Dodgers’ 6-5 loss to the Phillies. Hernández entered in the 10th inning as a defensive replacement but did not have an at-bat.
Betts is a Roberto Clemente Award nominee for the second consecutive year and was honored during a pregame ceremony before Monday’s game at Dodger Stadium.
The concept of honoring Major League players for their philanthropic work was created in 1971 as the “Commissioner’s Award.” It was then renamed to the “Roberto Clemente Award” in 1973 as tribute to Clemente following his tragic passing while delivering supplies for earthquake victims in Nicaragua on Dec. 31, 1972.
The league-wide winner of the Roberto Clemente Award will be honored at the 2025 World Series following selection by the aforementioned panel. It includes representatives from the commissioner’s office, Capital One, MLB-affiliated networks (MLB Network, FOX Sports, ESPN and TBS), MLB.com, National Baseball Hall of Fame, as well as Roberto’s children, Enrique, Luis and Roberto Clemente, Jr.
How to vote Mookie Betts for Roberto Clemente Award
Fans can now vote for the Roberto Clemente Award winner via MLBTogether.com/clementeaward (in both English and Spanish). Fan voting extends through the final day of the regular season on Sunday, Sept. 28. The winner of the fan vote will count as one vote among those cast by the blue-ribbon panel.
Have you subscribed to the Dodger Blue YouTube channel? Be sure to ring the notification bell to watch player interviews, participate in shows and giveaways, and stay up to date on all Dodgers news and rumors!
