Pirates organization remove Roberto Clemente sign from right field, family and fans outraged

From Pittsburgh to Puerto Rico, Clemente’s legacy lives on.

The Pittsburgh Pirates blundered yet again, and it wasn’t on the score sheet. The organization came under some fire when Roberto Clemente Jr. took to X, to point out that the club had replaced his father’s name and number in right field, for a drink ad.

The sign for Clemente has been in right field at PNC Park since 2022, and not seeing it there for the home-opening weekend series sparked outrage from fans across the country. The team did announce on Sunday that they would be changing the image back, releasing a statement in regard to this latest misstep.

“We did not intend to disrespect the legacy of Roberto Clemente by adding the advertisement to the pad in right field,” Pirates president Travis Williams said in a statement. “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.”

Clemente Jr. released a statement on behalf of his family and his father’s legacy.

“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.”

The rest of the statement went on to say that the Clemente family wants a continued positive relationship with the Pirates’ organization, stating that he will be personally reaching out to the club directly to further this communication and build upon a collaborative partnership.

Roberto Clemente is of course widely regarded as the greatest Pirate of all time, with a legacy that far outlives what he did on the baseball field. During his playing career, “The Great One” was awarded 12 Gold Gloves, was the 1966 NL MVP, and led the team to two World Series titles. Away from baseball he was a known philanthropist, helping bring support to his native Puerto Rico, and serving in the Pittsburgh communities that he learned to embrace after a rough start to his playing career in the city.

Clemente was tragically killed in a plane crash off the coast of Puerto Rico, while traveling with earth quake relief supplies to Nicaragua on New Year’s Eve 1972. Since his passing he’s been inducted into Cooperstown, his number was retired by Pittsburgh, and every year the Roberto Clemente Award is given to the player who exemplifies outstanding community service while playing at the highest level.

This move by the organization is clearly a slap in the face to the Clemente family, the Pittsburgh fans, and the current players who have to endure playing under this ownership group. Year in and year out this club makes one bad decision after another. It’s no wonder “sell the team” chants rang through the stadium during the Yankees series. The least they could do is honor the Pirates’ players of the past, and here they are screwing that up too.

“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,” Clemente Jr. stated.