Carlos Pena's mother, father and sister, Femaris.

Before Sunday's Mother's Day game, Peña talked about the appreciation and love he has for his mother.

Today is a very special day. We celebrate the mothers. They are so special. I always think about my mother. She's been there for me in all situations and all circumstances good and bad.

That's something I truly appreciate. That kind of unconditional love is priceless. It's something we definitely need to take into account and understand.

Without my mother I would not be where I am today. I would not be half the man I am today. If I'm anything today, I owe it a lot to my mom.

When things aren't going well, I call her just to talk, to listen to her voice and know that she's there. When that happens, all of a sudden, those things don't matter anymore.

That's because I know that it doesn't matter what happens to me, my mom is going to be there for me.

So sometimes I will call her when things are not going so well, and she'll say, 'Baby, I love you no matter what, so don't worry about it.'

It's amazing to have someone like that, someone you can rely on. It doesn't matter what circumstances you're in. She's going to love you no matter what. She's always there for me.

That's my mom. She's the greatest gift I've got.

Happy Mother's Day to my mother and all the mothers.

Carlos Peña's diary appears as told to Kent Schacht, who is an editorial producer for MLB.com. This story was not subject to approval by Major League Baseball or its clubs.