Roberto Clemente is known as possibly the best player to ever suit up for the Pittsburgh Pirates. The son of the late star is commenting on the team's decision to remove a tribute to Clemente at PNC Park, the team stadium.

The right field wall at PNC Park contained a sign saying Clemente 21, to honor the late Pirate star. It has been replaced by an advertisement.

“This change was made without any communication or consultation with our family,” Clemente Jr. said in a statement.

Clemente Jr. said that the team has acknowledged they removed the sign without consulting the Clemente family. The son of the Pirates star said fans have reached out to criticize the move.

“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. said. “I intend to reach out to the Pirates directly to explore this further.”

Pittsburgh replaced the Clemente sign on the right field wall with an advertisement for Surfside, a drink.

“The 21-foot-high wall that officially bears Roberto Clemente’s name continues to, and will forever, display his No. 21 in two separate locations,” the Pirates said in a statement, per WTAE. “The temporary wall sign in question was put in place before the 2022 season and was never meant to be a permanent tribute, simply another cap tip to ‘The Great One.' We apologize that we didn’t directly communicate that fact to the Clemente family and our fans.”

The Pirates are 2-7 this season, and are playing the New York Yankees on Sunday.

Pirates ownership is under fire right now from fans

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The owner of the Pirates is Bob Nutting, who is not a popular person right now. Nutting is under fire from Bucs fans for the team's lousy start. Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes has come to Nutting's defense amidst the rough start.

This development is likely to cause more consternation for the embattled owner. Pittsburgh is known as one of the worst franchises in Major League Baseball, for the last 30 years. The Pirates have made just a handful of postseason appearances since the 1992 campaign. That was the last year the team had Barry Bonds.

The franchise and its fans miss the days when Roberto Clemente was in the lineup. Clemente played for the Bucs from 1955 to 1972, and won two World Series championships with the franchise. He was the World Series MVP in the 1971 season. The star had 3,000 hits.

Clemente famously died in a plane accident in 1972. His number 21 was retired by the Pirates. He is a member of the team's Hall of Fame, and was also inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1973.

The Pirates last won the World Series in 1979.