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Pittsburgh Pirates Apologize for Replacing Roberto Clemente Sign with a Surfside Ad
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The Pirates announced Sunday that they would 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 its 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.”
They replaced it with a Surfside ad. Great local product, Surfside, but yes, probably a better spot for the signage. Williams’ comments make it seem like the original plan was to simply put advertising on the pad and also keep the #21 logo, but wouldn’t that have been kind of lame also? If you’re honoring the greatest player in your franchise’s history, then just put the ads somewhere else entirely.
Here are a couple of side-by-side photos for comparisons:
Had to take a break from dedication Saturday to posts about this disgraceful decision by the Pirates organization.
They replaced the Roberto Clemente logo on the right field wall with a Surfside ad. Shame on you Pirates. pic.twitter.com/6XoPVEdGyr
— BaseballHistoryNut (@nut_history) April 6, 2025
It’s tough being a Yinzer baseball fan these days. The Pirates started 3-7 and have just three playoff appearances and four winning seasons since Czechoslovakia split into two countries. It’s so bad that a couple of Pennsylvania lawmakers put out a press release in 2024 asking the Buccos to get their shit together because all of the losing was hurting the economy. At the time, it was revealed by the Independent Fiscal Office that “the Pirates generate $22 million in tax dollars for the state; the Phillies generate $45 million.” When will the Yinzers start contributing their fair share to our great Commonwealth?
Kevin has been writing about Philadelphia sports since 2009. He spent seven years in the CBS 3 sports department and started with the Union during the team's 2010 inaugural season. He went to the academic powerhouses of Boyertown High School and West Virginia University. email - k.kinkead@sportradar.com