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The Pittsburgh Pirates and Roberto Clemente‘s family have taken a step in the right direction after the baseball legend’s tribute was inexplicably removed from the outfield wall padding at PNC Park … with Roberto Clemente Jr. telling TMZ Sports the two sides had a “good conversation” during a meeting on Monday.
The Pirates sparked quite the controversy when the No. 21 logo in honor of the late MVP was replaced by an ad for a cocktail company over the weekend … with fans — and Roberto Jr. himself — expressing shock over the move.
WOW………….. https://t.co/qcL1O6zPZ2
— Roberto Clemente Jr (@RClementejr21) April 5, 2025
@RClementejr21
Pirates president Travis Williams took the blame for the mistake on Sunday … and said the symbol would be returned to the right field wall.
We spoke with Roberto Jr. on Tuesday about the whole ordeal … and he said after a productive discussion, he truly believes it was an error — and there are plenty of positives to take out of the situation.
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“It was myself, my wife and my brother, Luis Roberto, we spoke with the president, Travis Williams, who actually said that it was his responsibility,” Roberto Jr. told us.
“[He’s] someone that I respect and I think that we had a very good conversation. I believe that he understands a little bit more deeper some things that even prior to him coming into his position have been going on and I think that we are on a really good track to continue this collaboration.”
Roberto Jr. said he would love to work with the franchise on programs, events and initiatives that continue Clemente’s legacy by leaving a lasting impact on the community … and had a direct message for Pirates fans, as well as the organization.
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As for all the drama … Roberto Jr. put it simply — “Families have miscommunications sometimes.”
“We truly believe we are family and things happen. We’re all human. We make mistakes. I’m sure that mistake showed a very big sign of how the fans feel about Clemente and something was learned.”
