Pittsburgh Pirates It generated friction with fans during the team’s home opener. He quickly pointed out that a homage to Roberto Clemente was removed from the wall of the right field.
Clemente’s No. 21 was marked near the Foul Pole at PNC Park to honor the late outfielder who tragically died in a crash of a plane, providing assistance to Nicaragua in 1972. MLB Roberto Clemente Day declared September 15th.
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Pirates outfielder Roberto Clemente will pose for a portrait at Forbesfield in Pittsburgh. (Malcolm Emmons – USA Today’s Sports)
However, as the 2025 season began, the tributes on the wall on the right field were replaced by the alcoholic beverage surfside sign.
Roberto Clemente Jr. It was among those who were unhappy with the movement.
“Yesterday I was shocked to learn that the Clemente 21 sign, a tribute to my father on the right wall of PNC Park in Pittsburgh, has been removed and replaced with an ad,” his statement on Sunday read. “This change was made without communication or consultation with our family.
“We appreciate that the pirates have acknowledged their failure to let us know, but it reveals a wider issue: the lack of meaningful collaboration on issues that are very personal and historically important to the organization and us and our fans.”
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On September 15th, 2024, a statue of former Pirates right fielder Roberto Clemente, outside PNC Park in Pittsburgh. (Charles Leclair Imagni image)
He added that the “pouring of support” from fans is “deeply appreciated.”
“We are always open to building honest, lasting partnerships with pirates, sharing respect, shared values ​​and shared values. Our hope is that this moment can pave the way for a more thoughtful, transparent, and collaborative relationship.
Others responded to the decision to remove compliments on social media.
The Pirates reversed the course on Sunday.
“We were not going to downplay Roberto Clemente’s legacy by adding it to the pads on the right field,” Team President Travis Williams said in a statement.
“When I added the ads to the pads, it was monitoring that it didn’t keep the number 21 logo. This was ultimately me and not anyone else in the organization. That was an honest mistake.”
Roberto Clemente Jr., son of Hall of Fame right Fielder Roberto Clemente, in a dugout before a Baltimore Orioles game held at PNC Park on June 21, 2011. (Charles Leclaire-Uspresswire)
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The team is no. I said I would return the 21 logo.
“We’ve been using this area for advertising for many years. When sponsors didn’t come out of Covid, we added an additional element in 2022 to honor Roberto’s legacy,” added Williams. “It was a replica of three rivers honoring him.
“This is 21 feet tall, with 21 feet of 21 seconds, in addition to many elements throughout the ballpark that honors his legacy, including the fact that the wall is named the Roberto Clemente Wall.
“We want to make sure that Clemente’s family understands that it is not intended to be rude to their father. We look forward to continuing our relationship with the Clemente family and apologizing to them and their fans for their honest mistakes.”
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