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Pittsburgh Pirates to restore MLB legend Roberto Clemente's No. 21 signboard after family expresses unhappiness

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The Times Of Indiapublisher-detail-arrow
07th April, 2025 10:13 IST
The Pittsburgh Pirates have decided to put MLB legend Roberto Clemente ’s No. 21 sign back on the right field wall at PNC Park , after controversy erupted due to the team taking it down to make space for an advertisement, and Clemente’s family expressed they were upset about it.
Pirates says their intention wasn’t to disrespect Roberto Clemente’s legacyThe Pittsburgh Pirates’ president Travis Williams, said in a statement:

"We did not intend to disrespect the legacy of Roberto Clemente by adding the advertisement to the pad in right field."


Further, the statement added:

"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."

The statement said:


“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."
Roberto Clemente’s family expresses unhappiness The controversy erupted after the sign placed on the right field wall that featured Roberto Clemente’s name and his No. 22, was replaced with an advertisement for Surfside, which is an alcoholic drink. The sign had been there since 2022, and was placed in honor of Clemente.

Roberto Clemente Jr. expressed his family's unhappiness in a statement. It read:


"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 statement further said:

"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 statement added:


"We have always been open to building a sincere and lasting partnership with the Pirates, one grounded in respect and shared values, 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 was killed in 1972 in a plane crash off the coast of San Juan in his native Puerto Rico on New Year's Eve.

Also Read: “Trust Our Guys And Their Stuff”: Manager Derek Shelton Praises Pirates’ Winning Comeback Against Yankees


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