The Pittsburgh Pirates have reversed course on a decision to remove from PNC Park a placard honoring the late Hall of Famer and franchise legend Roberto Clemente in order to make room for advertising space. The Pirates’ response comes after Clemente’s son, Roberto Clemente Jr., criticized the club for the decision.
Clemente Jr. noticed the change, which replaced the sign with an ad for Surfside alcoholic drinks, when it was pointed out on social media:
On Sunday, Clemente Jr. said he was “shocked” by the change:
“Yesterday, I was shocked to learn that the Clemente 21 sign— a tribute to my father on the right field wall at PNC Park in Pittsburgh—had been removed and replaced by an advertisement. This change was made without any communication or consultation with our family.
“While we appreciate that the Pirates acknowledged their failure to inform us, it reveals a broader issue: a lack of meaningful collaboration between the organization and on matters that are deeply personal and historically significant to us and the fans.
“The outpouring of support from fans in Pittsburgh and across the country has been overwhelming and deeply appreciated. It is clear that our father’s legacy continues to inspire and unite people, not only for his achievements on the field, but for the integrity and compassion he demonstrated off of it.
“We have always been open to building a sincere and lasting partnership with the Pirates, one grounded in respect and shared values. Our hope is that this moment serves as an opportunity for reflection, paving the way for a more thoughtful, transparent, and collaborative relationship moving forward. I intend to reach out to the Pirates directly to explore this further.”
— Roberto Clemente, Jr.
After the controversy had percolated, Pirates president Travis Williams on Sunday released the following statement on the Clemente Wall and the decision to remove one of the signs honoring Clemente:
“We did not intend to disrespect the legacy of Roberto Clemente by adding the advertisement to the pad in right field.
“When we added the advertisement to the pad, it was an oversight not to keep the No. 21 logo. This is ultimately on me, not anyone else in the organization. It was an honest mistake.
“We will be adding the No. 21 logo back to the pad.
“We have used this area for advertisements for many years. When we didn’t have a sponsor coming out of COVID, we added an additional element in 2022 to honor the legacy of Roberto. It was a replica of the Three Rivers signage honoring him.
“This is in addition to the many elements throughout the ballpark that honor his legacy, including the fact that the wall is named the Roberto Clemente Wall, is 21 feet tall and has two No. 21s on it.
“We want to make sure that the Clemente family understands that we intended no disrespect to their father. We look forward to continuing our relationship with the Clemente family and apologize to them and our fans for our honest mistake.”
Clemente, who spent his entire 18-year career with the Pirates, amassed exactly 3,000 hits, won an MVP award, earned 15 All-Star selections, and won 12 Gold Gloves. He also won a pair of World Series rings with Pittsburgh and was named MVP of the 1971 World Series. Clemente died tragically in a plane crash on New Year’s Eve 1972 while on a humanitarian mission to Nicaragua. He was inducted posthumously into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1973 via special election.