Clemente Jr. unhappy about Pirates removing sign honoring his Hall of Fame father at PNC Park

By Canadian Press on April 6, 2025.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Pirates have angered the family of Roberto Clemente by removing a sign honoring the franchise icon on the right-field wall at PNC Park.

The sign featured Clemente’s name and his No. 21. Replacing it is an advertisement for Surfside, an alcoholic drink.

The right-field wall at PNC Park stands 21 feet high in honor of Clemente.

The Pirates said in a statement that the sign, which had been on the wall since 2022, was meant to be a temporary adornment. However, Roberto Clemente Jr. expressed his unhappiness on Sunday in a prepared statement.

“This change was made without any communication or consultation with our family,” Clemente’s statement said in part. “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,” the statement continued. “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.”

Clemente spent his entire career with the Pirates from 1955-72. He played in 15 All-Star Games while winning 12 Gold Glove awards, four batting titles and the 1966 National League MVP.

Clemente died in a plane crash off the coast of San Juan in his native Puerto Rico on New Year’s Eve in 1972 while attempting to deliver supplies to earthquake-ravaged Nicaragua. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame the following summer.

“Roberto Clemente is more than a Hall of Fame player to us,” Pirates senior vice president of communications and broadcasting Brian Warecki said in a statement. “His legacy helps define who we are as an organization. One would be hard-pressed to find a franchise that pays tribute to one of their historically great players more than the Pittsburgh Pirates do of Roberto Clemente, and rightfully so.

“Each and every day, we proudly honor and celebrate Roberto Clemente, the person, the player, and the humanitarian in and around our ballpark, as well as through our charitable endeavors. We apologize that we didn’t directly communicate that fact to the Clemente family and our fans.”

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

John Perrotto, The Associated Press

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