Roberto Clemente Jr. Forgives Pirates After Outfield Tribute Removal

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.

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.

"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.

As for all the drama ... Roberto Jr. put it simply -- "Families have miscommunications sometimes."