Minor League Baseball

Colorado Rockies Affiliate Takes Massive Shot at Pittsburgh Pirates Over Roberto Clemente Fiasco

The Pittsburgh Pirates caught all kinds of grief over the weekend because of disrespect toward franchise icon Roberto Clemente. On Sunday, the Harford Yard Goats, the Double-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies, took a shot at them.
Brady Farkas|
The statue of former Pittsburgh Pirates right fielder Roberto Clemente (21) outside of PNC Park. Major League Baseball celebrates Roberto Clemente Day on this day each year in memory of Clemente who died when the plane he was in carrying supplies to aid humanitarian efforts to those who suffered in a Nicaraguan earthquake crashed on New Years Eve 1972.
The statue of former Pittsburgh Pirates right fielder Roberto Clemente (21) outside of PNC Park. Major League Baseball celebrates Roberto Clemente Day on this day each year in memory of Clemente who died when the plane he was in carrying supplies to aid humanitarian efforts to those who suffered in a Nicaraguan earthquake crashed on New Years Eve 1972. | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

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This one is pretty layered, so let's follow along, bit by bit:

Roberto Clemente is one of the greatest players in baseball history. An 18-year veteran, he spent his entire career with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He was a 15-time All-Star, a 12-time Gold Glover, a four-time batting champion, a two-time World Series champion and an MVP. He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1973.

Also a great humanitarian, he died in 1972 while on a relief mission to Nicaragua.

Each year, Major League Baseball honors Roberto Clemente on Sept. 15 with "Roberto Clemente Day."

Well, this weekend, the Pirates caught major grief for removing the Clemente tribute sign in right field and covering it with an advertisement.

Roberto Clemente Jr. released a statement, bashing the Pirates for doing this without consultation.

And now the Pirates will put the Clemente sign back:

Now that you're all caught up, you're wondering, 'what does this have to do with Minor League Baseball?"

Well, the Hartford Yard Goats, the Double-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies, elected to take a shot at the Pirates on social media, posting a picture of their own Clemente tribute with the following caption:

In 2017, we retired Roberto Clemente’s #21 at Dunkin’ Park, with a large sign in the outfield. It’s still there today. It’ll be there tomorrow. Always.

The Yard Goats are not the only minor league team to retire Clemente's No. 21. All Pirates affiliates have done the same.

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Brady Farkas
BRADY FARKAS

Brady Farkas is the senior writer for “Minor League Baseball on SI’’ and the host of “The Payoff Pitch’’ podcast, which can be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Brady has spent nearly a decade in sports talk radio and is a graduate of Oswego State University. Follow Brady on Twitter @WDEVRadioBrady.

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