There are few things more sacred in Pittsburgh than the memory of Pirates icon Roberto Clemente.
Or at least, that was the case before the arrival of Surfside, the refreshing combination of iced tea and vodka that offers big taste without all the calories of beer.
As many Pirates fans were horrified to discover, the fledgling booze brand has a new advertisement on the right-field wall at Pittsburgh’s PNC Park. And while the image of the Surfside can isn’t offensive in itself, many noticed that it replaced a sign dedicated to Clemente, the legendary right fielder who died in a 1972 plane crash while trying to bring aid to earthquake victims in Nicaragua.
Now Pirates president Travis Williams has released a statement apologizing to Clemente’s family and fans for ‘an honest mistake,’ while announcing the team’s intention to replace the sign.Â
‘We did not intend to disrespect the legacy of Roberto Clemente by adding the advertisement to the pad in right field,’ Williams wrote. ‘When we added the advertisement to the pad, it was an oversight not to keep the No. 21 logo.’
‘We will be adding the No. 21 logo back to the pad.’
Robert Clemente’s life was tragically cut short in 1972, when he was killed in a plane crashÂ
The Pirates quietly removed the ‘Clemente’ sign in right field and replaced it with a vodka adÂ
Surfside offers a customers a combination of vodka and iced tea at just 100 calories per canÂ
The issue popped up on social media Saturday, when Roberto Clemente Jr. saw a post pointing out that the No. 21 sign, which had been a fixture in right for several seasons, was suddenly replaced with an alcohol ad.
‘WOW,’ Clemente Jr. responded on X.
Making matters worse, the Hall of Famer didn’t really like alcohol. Years earlier, Clemente Jr. told the Smithsonian that his father wasn’t much of a drinker outside of the occasional glass of wine.
Naturally, fans were furious at the Pirates, a 3-7 team already maligned in Pittsburgh for its failure to compete for free agents.
‘When you put a Clemente tribute up on the Clemente wall, you don’t remove it for alcohol ad,’ one fan wrote on X. ‘The Pirates are bad at optics if you haven’t noticed.’
The family has since issued a rather optimistic statement.
‘Our hope is that this moment serves as an opportunity for reflection, paving the way for a more thoughtful, transparent, and collaborative relationship moving forward,’ Clemente Jr.’s statement read in part.
Of course, PNC Park is built as somewhat of a memorial to Clemente’s legacy.
There is his statue outside the building, not to mention his retired number on the wall, but the sign in right field was popular with fans because it served as a reminder of the 12-time Gold Glove winner’s prowess in that corner of the ballpark.
A detail photo of the Roberto Clemente statue prior to the game between the Kansas City Royals and the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on Sunday, September 15, 2024 in Pittsburgh
In his statement, Williams acknowledged the various totems built in Clemente’s honor around PNC Park, while still acknowledging the club’s mistake.
‘We want to make sure that the Clemente family understands that we intended no disrespect to their father,’ Williams said. ‘We look forward to continuing our relationship with the Clemente family and apologize to them and our fans for our honest mistake.’
Clemente was tragically killed in December of 1972, when the plane he chartered to take emergency supplies to earthquake victims in Nicaragua crashed. His body was never found.
The Hall of Famer, who died with exactly 3,000 hits, was a member of the 1971 Pirates – team that famously fielded baseball’s first all-black-and-Latino lineup.
That Pirates team would go on to beat the Baltimore Orioles in the World Series in October of 1971 for Clemente’s second World Series crown.