Summarize and humanize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs in EnglishPITTSBURGH — The son of Roberto Clemente said in a statement Sunday that he was “shocked” to learn that the Pittsburgh Pirates replaced a tribute to the MLB legend at PNC Park with an advertisement, adding that the team didn’t reach out to the family before making the change.Roberto Clemente Jr. also bemoaned a “lack of meaningful collaboration between the organization and on matters that are deeply personal and historically significant to us and the fans.”The Pirates replaced a sign honoring Roberto Clemente in the right field corner with an advertisement for Surfside, an alcoholic beverage. The change was revealed when the Pirates hosted the New York Yankees in their home opener on Friday afternoon.
An advertisement now adorns the wall next to the right-field foul pole at PNC Park, taking the place of a sign that honored Roberto Clemente. (Photo: Brendan Kuty / The Athletic)Clemente’s son added that he planned to reach out to the Pirates directly.“The outpouring of support from fans in Pittsburgh and across the country has been overwhelming and deeply appreciated,” he said. “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.”
WOW………….. https://t.co/qcL1O6zPZ2
— Roberto Clemente Jr (@RClementejr21) April 5, 2025On Saturday night, the Pirates addressed the decision to replace the tribute via a statement from Brian Warecki, the club’s senior vice president of communications and broadcasting.The tribute was “never meant” to be permanent, said Warecki, who added that the Pirates were sorry for not giving advance notice to the Clemente family and fans. He said that the tribute was added in 2022.Warecki also noted ways the team continues to honor Clemente, including various tributes throughout the stadium and outside of it. Among them is a 12-foot bronze statue of Clemente outside the stadium and a right field wall that was designed to be 21 feet tall in his honor. Clemente wore No. 21, which the team retired.“Roberto Clemente is more than a Hall-of-Fame player to us,” Warecki said. “His legacy helps define who we are as an organization. One would be hard-pressed to find a franchise that pays tribute to one of their historically great players more than the Pittsburgh Pirates do of Roberto Clemente, and rightfully so. Each and every day, we proudly honor and celebrate Roberto Clemente, the person, the player, and the humanitarian in and around our ballpark, as well as through our charitable endeavors.”Clemente, a Puerto Rico native, was a 15-time All-Star, two-time World Series champion and National League MVP winner. He played all 18 of his big-league seasons with Pittsburgh.He died in a plane crash in 1972 as he was attempting to take off from Puerto Rico to deliver aid to earthquake victims in Nicaragua. He was 38.(Photo: Charles LeClaire / USA Today Sports/Imagn)
