TAMPA, Fla. (WWSB) – The final month of the Major League Baseball regular season is. The Tampa Bay Rays are already postseason bound. <\/p>\n
The wait is now to see if they will secure the 2026 A.L. East division title. However, the Rays along with the rest of the league are participating in something bigger than baseball this week. <\/p>\n
This week is Roberto Clemente Day. It\u2019s a day established by the league in recognition of the Hall of Famer who spent his entire career with the Pittsburgh Pirates. <\/p>\n
He died in a plane crash on New Year\u2019s Eve in 1972 while attempting to deliver supplies to earthquake victims in Nicaragua. The importance of the day is not lost on players, even if they hadn\u2019t been born yet when Clemente was playing. <\/p>\n
\u201cObviously, it\u2019s especially special for the Latin America community,\u201d Nick Martinez, a right-handed pitcher for the Rays said. \u201cWhat he\u2019s done for this game, and the various charities he\u2019s worked with, I feel proud.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s an honor for me to be here representing on this day,\u201d Victor Mesa Jr., an outfielder for the Rays said. \u201cA lot of the Latin players, for us we are very proud.\u201d<\/p>\n
The special day is also centered around the Roberto Clemente Award, which is considered baseball\u2019s most prestigious individual award. This recognizes the major league player who best represents the game through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions, both on and off the field. <\/p>\n
This year\u2019s nominee for the Tampa Bay Rays is outfielder Cedric Mullins. Through his performance campaigns, Mullins prioritizes his philanthropic commitment by helping nonprofit organizations sustain programs that directly give back to the individuals and groups they serve. <\/p>\n
Mullins also supports children facing serious illnesses. A big part of this is his own personal journey as an athlete with Chron\u2019s disease. He described the nomination as a huge honor. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s super cool,\u201d Mullins said. \u201cI\u2019ve been seeing guys over the years being honored with this award. I\u2019ve been striving for it for years. I just feel like, personally, whatever journey you\u2019re on there\u2019s always going to be assistance along the way.\u201d<\/p>\n