Pirates to re-add Roberto Clemente sign, apologize to family - ESPN

The Pirates announced Sunday that they will be adding the No. 21 logo back to the right field wall to honor Roberto Clemente at PNC Park after the franchise icon's family expressed their unhappiness that the sign was removed for an advertisement.

«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.»

Williams added: «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.»

The sign, which had been on the right-field wall since 2022, featured Clemente's name and his No. 21 but it was replaced with an advertisement for Surfside, an alcoholic drink.

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

Earlier Sunday, Roberto Clemente Jr. expressed his family's unhappiness 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