MIAMI -- The Phillies and Marlins celebrated the 21st annual Roberto Clemente Day on Thursday night at loanDepot park, and this year marks the 50th anniversary of the Hall of Famer's tragic death. On Dec. 31, 1972, Clemente died in a plane crash while he was on his way to deliver emergency supplies to an earthquake-ravaged Nicaragua.

• VOTE NOW: 2022 Roberto Clemente Award presented by Capital One

Marlins right-hander Pablo López, who started the series finale, and Phillies righty Kyle Gibson wore No. 21 as 2022 Roberto Clemente Award nominees for their respective club. While all other players and on-field personnel wore a "21" patch on their uniform sleeves, both López and Gibson had language on their patch reflecting their nomination. Miami also stenciled a "21" on the field behind home plate.

"It was pretty emotional. Pretty cool," López said. "I'm happy that it fell on the day I'm supposed to start. So just wearing No. 21 on a day like today after being nominated, it's a lot of emotions -- the good kind of emotions. Really happy, really proud, because we're honoring such an amazing person -- a person who did so much for us. If it wasn't for him, maybe I would have had [fewer] opportunities. So [I'm] extremely grateful for the opportunity to wear No. 21 tonight."

During a pregame ceremony, the Marlins recognized López’s community accomplishments and also presented the Miami Marlins Roberto Clemente Award to Marlins director of experience and promotions Juan Martínez, who was selected by his teammates for best representing Roberto Clemente’s spirit through community involvement and philanthropy.

"I think Pablo's leadership," Marlins manager Don Mattingly said of what stands out about the right-hander. "Obviously, you want guys to get out there and be able to feel comfortable in the community, and doing what they can. He's a good representative from the leadership standpoint. He's not a loud type of guy, he's a leading-by-example person. He does his work. He's got his routines. He's always working, always trying to get better. So, he's a great example for our guys."

Thursday marked the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month, and those in attendance at loanDepot park were invited to a premiere screening of "Fuera del Ballpark," an MLB Originals docuseries that chronicles a personal journey that discovers how baseball resonates in Latin America above and beyond the game on the field. Artist Carlito Skills, whose "Folklore" installation resides on the West Plaza at loanDepot park, is featured in the film. Following the airing of "Clemente x Siempre" at the Biscayne Brew Hall, Luis DeRosa, president of the South Florida Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce, and Daniel Acevedo, president of the We Are Wynwood Foundation, took part in a discussion detailing the impact and influence of Clemente’s legacy on his homeland of Puerto Rico.

The Marlins' Hispanic Heritage Celebration began on Wednesday, when López visited Kensington Park Elementary as part of a series of school lessons at the Miami Marlins Foundation Slugger Schoolhouses presented by PNC Bank. He led a conversation and trivia session themed around Clemente with the students, with activities focusing on Clemente’s life and his impact on the game of baseball and philanthropy.

"I've always made myself available, and if things work out, if things align, I'm always going to try to be there," López said of his community service. "It makes me happy. It fulfills me, embracing those opportunities to help other people. The more you help, I feel like it just fills you up inside with joy and happiness, and it's something that I've cherished deeply."

The visiting Phillies will recognize Roberto Clemente Day on Wednesday when they host the Blue Jays. In the meantime, they hosted their 20th annual Phillies Latino Family Celebration on Aug. 25 at Citizens Bank Park and recognized Philabundance, one of the largest hunger relief organizations in the Delaware Valley. The late Ruben Amaro Sr. -- a former Phillies player, coach and scout -- was formally recognized for becoming the 79th inductee into the Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum Hall of Fame during an on-field pregame presentation.

"What a humanitarian," said Phillies interim manager Rob Thomson, who played his first year of pro ball with Clemente's son, Roberto Jr., on the Gastonia Jets co-op team in 1985. "[Roberto Clemente] was kind of the guy that started all the stuff that the players now -- like Gibson, Rhys [Hoskins], [Zach] Eflin -- do [with] the charity work, the humanitarian work. He was really something."

Other Hispanic Heritage Month efforts include the Phillies' participation in Concilio’s 2022 Annual Awards Gala, which honors the actions of active community members across Philadelphia, and the 38th Feria Del Barrio Festival, which celebrates North Philadelphia’s Latino culture, family, economic and educational aspirations. Throughout September, the club is working with its Spanish radio broadcaster, Oscar Budejen, to salute the 2022 Phillies Latino Heroes, a group that consists of Latinos making a meaningful difference in the Philadelphia community.

“It’s still a little surreal each time,” said Gibson, who also was nominated in 2019 with the Twins. “I went to the Clemente Museum [in Pittsburgh] for the first time this year. It was a lot of fun. The history behind Clemente and the Clemente family is obviously amazing. It’s an honor to be regarded in that way, because he was somebody who clearly made it important to himself and his family to give back to people.”