Pirates Return Clemente Tribute, Remove Advertisement
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PITTSBURGH —The Pittsburgh Pirates made the decision to bring back a tribute to one of their greatest players at their ballpark.
The Pirates returned a tribute to Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente in right field, after previously placing an advertisement over it.
So long, Surfside pic.twitter.com/HW8o04HemM
— Noah Hiles (@_NoahHiles) April 9, 2025
The Pirates had a Surfside can taking up the full portion of that spot in the right field wall during the opening series, which fans noticed. This move drew heavy criticism, even from Roberto Clemente Jr.
Pittsburgh initially argued that the tribute was never meant as a permanent one, but just another one for one of the best players in franchise history.
They have had ads in that right field space before at PNC Park, including Toyota and T-Mobile.
The Pirates eventually went back on their decision following the opening series vs. the New York Yankees and now have it back up for their series finale vs. the St. Louis Cardinals.
Pirates fans have aired their frustrations with the ownership and the product on the field in these first two series at PNC Park in 2025.
Owner Bob Nutting walked on the rotunda during Opening Day vs. the Yankees on April 4 and fans accosted him, demanding him to sell the team.
The fans on the rotunda wore "Sell The Team" shirts, which the "Our Team, Not His" fan group has distributed out at numerous occasions.
The "Our Team, Not His" has demands that Nutting sell the team, as they're tired of the constant losing and want "winning baseball to return to Pittsburgh."
They organized two protests prior to the home opener vs. the New York Yankees. One occurred on Federal Street and the other had a plane fly a sign reading, "Sell the Team Bob" and also put in the website, ourteamnothis.com, around PNC Park
The plane cost a reported $4,000, according to Dejan Kovacevic of DK Pittsburgh Sports for the group of fans, as they hired a private plane operator to do this around Downtown and on the North Shore.
Pirates fans also booed manager Derek Shelton on Opening Day and have engaged in "Sell The Team" chants consistently through this first homestand.
Fans also criticized their removal of the "Bucco Bricks" outside of the Honus Wagner statue entrance of PNC Park, and replacing them with paved cement. The bricks served as permanent tributes to family, friends and others, that people purchased prior to the building of the ballpark in 2001.
CBS News Pittsburgh found the bricks at a local recycling plant, which drew further furhter criticism from fans online.
Roberto Clemente excelled for the Pirates for 18 seasons from 1955-72. He finished with a slash line of .317/.359/.475 and an OPS of .834, while amassing 3,000 hits, 440 doubles, 166 triples, 240 home runs, 1,305 RBIs and 621 walks in 2,433 games.
He would win the National League MVP in 1966, hitting .317/.360/.536 for an OPS of .896, while getting 202 hits, 31 doubles, 11 triples, 29 home runs and 46 walks.
Clemente finished with 15 All-Star nods, won 12 consecutive NL Gold Glove Awards from 1961-72, won the NL Batting Title four times in 1961, 1964, 1965 and 1967.
He also won two World Series with the Pirates in 1960, defeating the New York Yankees in seven games with fellow Pirates Hall of Famer Bill Mazeroski hitting the walk-off home run at Forbes Field, and beating the Baltimore Orioles in seven games in 1971.
Clemente won World Series MVP in 1971, hitting .414 with 12 hits in 29 at-bats and also hit the decisive solo home run in the 2-1 win in Game 7 in Baltimore.
The Puerto Rican was known for his huminatrian work across the Carribean and Latin America, which cost him his life, as he died in a plane crash on Dec. 31, 1972, that he chartered to bring emergency goods for the people of Nicaragua, who just endured a massive earthquake.
Clemente would earn special induction into the Pro Baseball Hall of Fame, becoming the first Caribbean player to do so and second player from Latin America.
Clemente also has an MLB award in his name, the Roberto Clemente Award, which honors the player that, "best exemplifies the game of baseball, sportsmanship, community involvement and the individual's contribution to his team."
Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.