Pirates say Roberto Clemente sign will go back on PNC Park wall after being removed for advertisement

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A tribute to Pittsburgh Pirates legend Roberto Clemente that adorned the right-field wall at PNC Park was taken down and replaced by an advertisement. That decision has outraged the Clemente family, which said it wasn't informed of the change by team management. 

Drawing attention to the matter got a quick response from the Pirates, who announced that the sign, comprised of a diamond with Clemente's name and his jersey No. 21, will return to its place in right field, where the Hall of Famer played all but 68 of his 2,373 games in the field. (He played 2,433 games overall.) 

The sign was on the wall near the right-field pole. However, an ad for alcoholic beverage Surfside is now in its place. The change was seen by those in attendance for the first time with the Pirates playing their home opener on Friday versus the New York Yankees.

Clemente's son, Roberto Clemente Jr., issued a statement on Sunday — on the same date when the Hall of Famer's number was retired by the Pirates — regarding the removal of the sign commemorating his father. 

"Yesterday, I was shocked to learn that the Clemente 21 sign — a tribute to my father on the right field wall at PNC Park in Pittsburgh — had been removed and replaced by an advertisement," Clemente Jr. wrote. "This change was made without any communication or consultation with our family. 

"While we appreciate that the Pirates acknowledged their failure to inform us, it reveals a broader issue, a lack of meaningful collaboration between the organization and on matters that are deeply personal and historically significant to us and the fans."

Clemente Jr. went on to express gratitude to Pittsburgh fans and baseball fans around the country for taking inspiration from his father's legacy, ...