Pirates to Bring Back Roberto Clemente Tribute After Criticism from MLB Legend's Son

Roberto Clemente's son, Roberto Clemente Jr., voiced frustration on social media after the Pittsburgh Pirates replaced his tribute at PNC Park with an advertisement.

He posted a statement on social media following the removal of the Clemente logo in right field.

"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," Clemente wrote. "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 Pirates responded to the backlash following the removal of Clemente's logo, saying they planned to restore the tribute back to the right field wall.

The pad featuring Clemente's logo had been in right field since 2022 but was replaced by an advertisement for Surfside, an alcoholic drink. The right field wall in Pittsburgh is 21 feet high in honor of Clemente's No. 21.

Before announcing the plan to restore Clemente's logo to right field, Pirates Senior Vice President of Communications and Broadcasting Brian Warecki issued a statement explaining that it was never intended to be a permanent fixture when it was put up in 2022.

“The 21-foot-high wall that officially bears Roberto Clemente’s name continues to, and will forever, display his No. 21 in two separate locations," the statement read, per the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Noah Hiles. "The temporary wall sign in question was put in place prior to the 2022 season and was never meant to be a permanent tribute, simply another cap tip to 'The Great One.' We apologize that we didn’t directly communicate that fact to the Clemente family and our fans.”

Clemente played for the Pirates from 1955 till his death in 1972. The legendary right fielder was a 15-time All-Star, two-time World Series champion, National League MVP in 1966 and World Series MVP in 1971. Clemente also earned 12 Gold Glove awards and was the NL batting champion four times.

He finished his career with 240 home runs, 1,305 RBI and a .317 batting average. The Pirates retired his No. 21 in 1973 and he was inducted into the Hall of Fame the same year.