New Pirates Shirt Sparks Confusion in Fan Base
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PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Pirates fans are gearing up for one of the more anticipated seasons in recent history, but took notice to an interesting piece of apparel.
Pittsburgh Clothing Co. posted on Twitter, looking at a new shirt on the Fanatics site for Pirates merchandise and noticed a new shirt with the motto "Hoist the Cone" on it.
The shirt is a black Nike tri-blend logo t-shirt with a Nike swoosh in gold on the top right of the shirt, a Pirates "P" logo in the middle and the then "Hoist The Cone" motto under that. Fanatics is also selling that t-shirt for $44.99.
Pirates fans were clearly confused with the slogan, as many didn't understand what it meant and why it was there.
What the heck does “Hoist the Cone” mean pic.twitter.com/Slsjuy8Tl2
— Pittsburgh Clothing Co. (@PGHClothingCo) March 12, 2026
Where Hoist the Cone Comes From
The "Hoist the Cone" is a clear play on "Hoist the Colors", which Pirates say to put up their flag on their ship, either readying for battle or showing their support for other Pirates.
Where this motto apparently comes from is "The Pittsburgh Cone", which PNC Park offered Pirates fans during the 2019 season as one of the promotional foods for the season.
The Pittsburgh Cone had a number of different ingredients, including kielbasa, pierogi, swiss cheese, sauerkraut, russian dressing, all in a waffle cone.
The combination of different items played on ingredients harkens to local food items that Pittsburghers love in kielbasa and pierogi.
Fanatics is selling another shirt that has the Pittsburgh Cone on the t-shirt, with a drawing of it on there and "The Pittsburgh Cone" right next to it. That shirt is also black and is 10 dollars cheaper at $34.95.
The Pittsburgh Cone is one of many different types of promotional food that the Pirates have released in recent years, such as the "Renegade Dog", a footlong hot dog that had potato pierogies, carmelized onions, pickels and pot roast.
Another example of a more recent promotional food from the Pirates last season included the Polish Cannonball, which had egg noodles, kielbasa, cabbage, bacon, cheddar cheese, and herb crema dip, packaged together in juicy bite-sized balls.
Pirates Fans Making Fun of the Slogan
With how absurd "Hoist the Cone" sounds to Pirates fans, they've not only embraced the slogan in jest, but fully embraced it.
The Bucco Bantr podcast were down near the Strip District and hoisted a traffic cone in honor of the new motto.
HOIST THE CONE 🏴☠️ pic.twitter.com/QHpIugf2q5
— Bucco Bantr (@BuccoBantr) March 14, 2026
Pirates fan Scott Chamberlain edited a photo of the Pirate Parrot with a black and yellow cone in place of the Pirate flag he waves during games and after wins.
"Hoist the Cone!!!" #LetsGoBucs 🏴☠️ https://t.co/ydxkPqfSBj pic.twitter.com/ebpQBjjwlm
— Scott Chamberlain (@TheBuccosFan) March 13, 2026
Fellow Pirates fan Nick Cammuso also made an edit of former Pirates manager Derek Shelton with an ice cream cone at Dairy Queen after a loss last April.
Derek Shelton hoisting the cone with his team after an April 2025 loss. 😬#LetsGoBucs pic.twitter.com/sxlXNlXrnq
— Nick Cammuso (@npc210) March 12, 2026
Expect more memes from fans on "Hoist The Cone" throughout the season and potentially, a return of the item this season to PNC Park, especially if a shirt is being sold about it.
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.