PITTSBURGH — This weekend, the Pirates received backlash from their decision to replace a Roberto Clemente logo on the right field wall at PNC Park with an advertisement for Surfside, a Philadelphia-based canned cocktail line of hard teas and lemonades.

The advertisement was noticed during the team's home opener Friday, and was posted to social media where it gained further attention. Many reacted to the team's decision, including Roberto Clemente Jr., whose repost with the simple caption " "WOW.............." has been viewed by over 3 million people on X. Clemente Jr. then provided a statement to the Post-Gazette Sunday morning.

"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. 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 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.

"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."

The Pirates issued a statement about the ad Saturday evening, explaining that the logo that was replaced was a "temporary wall sign" that 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."

The team then went on to apologize to the Clemente family and the fanbase before listing the many ways they continue to honor Clemente's legacy both inside and outside the ballpark, along with a series of charity efforts.

Following Clemente’s statement, the Pirates then issued a second statement late Sunday afternoon, this one coming from team president Travis Williams, saying that the logo will be added back to the right field wall.

“We did not intend to disrespect the legacy of Roberto Clemente by adding the advertisement to the pad in right field,” Williams said in the release. “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.

“We have used this area for advertisements for many years. When we didn't have a sponsor coming out of COVID, we added an additional element in 2022 to honor the legacy of Roberto. It was a replica of the Three Rivers signage honoring him. This is in addition to the many elements throughout the ballpark that honor his legacy, including the fact that the wall is named the Roberto Clemente Wall, is 21 feet tall and has two No. 21s on it.

“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.”

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