The Pirates are off to a rough start in the 2025 MLB season and to make matters worse, the franchise is at the center of a controversy involving one of its most iconic figures.
After spending the first week of the season on the road, the team returned to Pittsburgh to host its first home games during the second weekend. During the Pirates home-opening series, a clothing company pointed out that a sign honoring the late Roberto Clemente had been replaced with an ad for an alcoholic beverage.
The post documenting the change quickly went viral as Clemente’s son took to X (formerly Twitter) to express his shock at the decision. This set off a series of events that included multiple statements and an eventual resolution.
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Here is what to know about the sign controversy in Pittsburgh.
Roberto Clemente 21 sign controversy, explained
After the Pirates’ home opener on Friday, April 4, the Pittsburgh Clothing Co. posted a realization about the team removing a Clemente sign in right field of PNC Park.Â
“Just realized they replaced the Clemente logo on the right field wall with a Surfside ad,” the account posted along with a woozy emoji in addition to before and after photos.
Just realized they replaced the Clemente logo on the right field wall with a Surfside ad 🥴 pic.twitter.com/Hz8qUBy6Sp
— Pittsburgh Clothing Co. (@PGHClothingCo) April 5, 2025
Surfside is a spiked iced tea beverage made with vodka. Naturally, the decision to replace Clemente’s signage with an advertisement for an alcoholic beverage was met with backlash.
About an hour after the original posting, Roberto Clemente Jr. reposted the X by simply saying “WOW” in all capital letters.
As the backlash quickly spread, the Pirates first issued a statement to Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 in which it called the right-field signage ‘temporary’:Â
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 temporary wall sign in question was put in place before 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.
On April 6, Clemente’s son offered a statement, which, in part, reads that the change “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.”
My statement on the removal of the Clemente 21 tribute sign at PNC Park. pic.twitter.com/lKW2TkMrpS
— Roberto Clemente Jr (@RClementejr21) April 6, 2025
Not long after the statement from Roberto Clemente Jr., Pirates team president Travis Williams issued a statement taking responsibility for the removal, sharing that the logo would be restored and apologizing to the Clemente family and Pirates fans.
“We did not intend to disrespect the legacy of Roberto Clemente by adding the advertisement to the pad in right field,” Williams said. “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 Pirates have released another statement on the team’s decision to cover a Roberto Clemente tribute logo with an advertisement, this one coming from team president Travis Williams. The logo will be added back to the wall. pic.twitter.com/aLJJkXbd1X
— Noah Hiles (@_NoahHiles) April 6, 2025
Roberto Clemente cause of death
Clemente died in the Puerto Rico DC-7 plane crash on Dec. 31, 1972.
After an earthquake struck Managua, Nicaragua, Clemente sent relief aid to the country, but there were reports that the goods were not making it to those affected. In response, he chartered a plane and rode along as a passenger on a flight delivering more aid to the country so that he could ensure the aid got to those in need.
The flight left Isla Verde International Airport in Puerto Rico but experienced engine failure on takeoff and immediately crashed, flying into the Atlantic Ocean. All five people on board died.
The body of the pilot was eventually found, but the bodies of Clemente and the others who were also on board were never recovered.
