Pittsburgh Pirates announce shock U-turn on Roberto Clemente sign after tearing it down in favor of a booze ad

There are fewer things much ineffable successful Pittsburgh than the representation of Pirates icon Roberto Clemente.

Or astatine least, that was the lawsuit earlier the accomplishment of Surfside, the refreshing operation of iced beverage and vodka that offers large sensation without each the calories of beer.

As galore Pirates fans were horrified to discover, the fledgling booze marque has a caller advertisement connected the right-field partition astatine Pittsburgh's PNC Park. And portion the representation of the Surfside tin isn't violative successful itself, galore noticed that it replaced a motion dedicated to Clemente, the legendary close fielder who died successful a 1972 level clang portion trying to bring assistance to earthquake victims successful Nicaragua.

Now Pirates president Travis Williams has released a connection apologizing to Clemente's household and fans for 'an honorable mistake,' portion announcing the team's volition to regenerate the sign. 

'We did not mean to disrespect the bequest of Roberto Clemente by adding the advertisement to the pad successful close field,' Williams wrote. 'When we added the advertisement to the pad, it was an oversight not to support the No. 21 logo.'

'We volition beryllium adding the No. 21 logo backmost to the pad.'

The contented popped up connected societal media Saturday, erstwhile Roberto Clemente Jr. saw a station pointing retired that the No. 21 sign, which had been a fixture successful close for respective seasons, was abruptly replaced with an intoxicant ad.

'WOW,' Clemente Jr. responded connected X.

Making matters worse, the Hall of Famer didn't truly similar alcohol. Years earlier, Clemente Jr. told the Smithsonian that his begetter wasn't overmuch of a drinker extracurricular of the occasional solid of wine.

Naturally, fans were furious astatine the Pirates, a 3-7 squad already maligned successful Pittsburgh for its nonaccomplishment to vie for escaped agents.

'When you enactment a Clemente tribute up connected the Clemente wall, you don't region it for intoxicant ad,' 1 instrumentality wrote connected X. 'The Pirates are atrocious astatine optics if you haven't noticed.'

The household has since issued a alternatively optimistic statement.

'Our anticipation is that this infinitesimal serves arsenic an accidental for reflection, paving the mode for a much thoughtful, transparent, and collaborative narration moving forward,' Clemente Jr.'s connection work successful part.

Of course, PNC Park is built arsenic somewhat of a memorial to Clemente's legacy.

There is his statue extracurricular the building, not to notation his retired fig connected the wall, but the motion successful close tract was fashionable with fans due to the fact that it served arsenic a reminder of the 12-time Gold Glove winner's prowess successful that country of the ballpark.

In his statement, Williams acknowledged the assorted totems built successful Clemente's grant astir PNC Park, portion inactive acknowledging the club's mistake.

'We privation to marque definite that the Clemente household understands that we intended nary disrespect to their father,' Williams said. 'We look guardant to continuing our narration with the Clemente household and apologize to them and our fans for our honorable mistake.'

Clemente was tragically killed successful December of 1972, erstwhile the level helium chartered to instrumentality exigency supplies to earthquake victims successful Nicaragua crashed. His assemblage was ne'er found.

The Hall of Famer, who died with precisely 3,000 hits, was a subordinate of the 1971 Pirates – squad that famously fielded baseball's archetypal all-black-and-Latino lineup.

That Pirates squad would spell connected to bushed the Baltimore Orioles successful the World Series successful October of 1971 for Clemente's 2nd World Series crown.