HOUSTON, TX - OCTOBER 27: Nelson Cruz of the Tampa Bay Rays is presented the Roberto Clemente Award by Luis Clemente and MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred prior to Game 2 of the 2021 World Series between the Atlanta Braves and the Houston Astros at Minute …
HOUSTON - Tampa Bay Rays' Nelson Cruz has been given Major League Baseball’s Roberto Clemente Award for character, community involvement and philanthropy.
Cruz, the 50th winner of the honor, received the award before World Series Game 2 on Wednesday night.
"Growing up as a Latin, you always heard about Roberto Clemente," he said. "I never had a chance to see him play. I knew what a great player he was. Once I came to the States I found out, oh, he’s not only a good player, he’s a great human being."
The 41-year-old Cruz, a 17-year MLB veteran and seven-time All-Star, provided financial support to 1,200 families in his hometown of Las Matas de Santa Cruz, Dominican Republic, during the COVID-19 pandemic, helping feed 700 families.
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After a fire destroyed the home of a childhood friend, Cruz provided the town with a fire engine, 80 firefighter uniforms and an ambulance for transport of people to the nearest hospital, which is about an hour away.
His Boomstick23 Foundation began construction of an education and technical center last year and he will stock the center with computers to assist athletes in their education.
Cruz also organizes dentists and optometrists to go the town’s clinic for checkups, medicine and eyewear, and 500 patients received dental services last year.