Nashville’s Mookie Betts will never forget how things ended early Tuesday morning at the World Series.

But his day had started on a pretty good note as well — many hours earlier.

The Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop, an Overton High School graduate, was on Monday evening named the winner of Major League Baseball’s Roberto Clemente Award, which is given annually to the player who best represents the game of baseball through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions, both on and off the field.

The 33-year-old Betts then went out and played 18 innings of baseball in an epic Game 3 of the World Series, helping the Dodgers defeat Toronto 6-5 in a contest that tied the record for the longest Fall Classic game, in terms of innings.

The game lasted six hours and 39 minutes, second only to the seven-hour, 20-minute World Series clash in the 18-inning Game 3 of the 2018 World Series between the Boston Red Sox and the Dodgers.

The Dodgers hold a 2-1 lead in the series heading into Tuesday night’s Game 4 in L.A.

Betts is seeking a fourth World Series title, after winning a championship in 2018 with Boston, as well as crowns in 2020 and 2024 with the Dodgers.

But it was more Betts’ off-field efforts that were rewarded with the Roberto Clemente Award.

Each year, every MLB team nominates one player to be considered for the award in tribute to Clemente’s achievements and character.

“It means a lot,” Betts told reporters. “Life is about more than what you do 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.”

One of the reasons Betts won the award was the work he and his wife, Brianna, do through Betts’ 5050 Foundation, which he founded in 2021, during his second season with the Dodgers.

The organization’s mission is to help the youth in the Los Angeles and Nashville communities develop resources for success, based around four pillars: physical fitness, mental and emotional health, nutrition and financial literacy.

This year, the 5050 Foundation was part of the wildfire relief effort in the L.A. area, donating more than $30,000 of Nike clothing to victims. The 5050 Foundation also partnered with the Dodgers Foundation to donate more than $160,000 to Brotherhood Crusade, which works to help fight hunger and homelessness in L.A.

Betts and the 5050 Foundation continued working with schools, partnering with the Obama Foundation to donate sports equipment to Hyde Park Academy in Chicago and setting up an academic challenge with L.A. Unified School District.

The organization has also continued to work with UCLA Children’s Hospital, where the “Betts on Us” fund helps families with pediatric patients access quality healthcare.

In Nashville, Betts funded the Mookie Betts Metro Baseball Tournament, and he has continued his work with “Team Mookie,” an Amateur Athletic Union boys’ basketball team. He’s helped fund six AAU teams in the Nashville region.

“When we come across people, we always make ’em smile, do what you can to help them, and the Lord blesses you,” Betts said. “So that’s kind of what we care about. We just want to be a good example for all the kids growing up and to know that they can do it, no matter what.”

A 12-year MLB veteran, Betts has been named an all-star eight times.

In 2018, Betts earned the league’s MVP award, the American League Silver Slugger award, a Gold Glove and the batting title.

This year, Betts hit .258 during the regular season, with 20 home runs and 82 RBIs.