Pirates fans turn confusing Fanatics shirt into instant meme gold

Sometimes a marketing campaign sparks a rallying cry. Other times… it sparks confusion, followed by a meme war.

That’s exactly what happened this week after Fanatics and Nike released a new Pittsburgh Pirates T-shirt reading “Hoist the Cone.” The design, which costs $44.99, immediately left even the most diehard of Pirates fans asking the same simple question:

What cone?

No, seriously — what cone?!

Within minutes of the shirt appearing online, Pirates fans began trying to decode the phrase like it was some kind of baseball-themed Da Vinci Code. Some theories included a strange play on the traditional pirate phrase "hoist the colors," a reference to the "Pittsburgh Cone" concession item once sold at PNC Park — a waffle cone stuffed with kielbasa, pierogi, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and Russian dressing — and perhaps an inside joke that somehow escaped the clubhouse and landed on a shirt.

The problem? None of these explanations really make sense. The Pittsburgh Cone never had a cult following, many fans aren’t even sure it’s still served at PNC Park, and the Pirates themselves have never used “Hoist the Cone” as a slogan in any official capacity.

Naturally, this left the fanbase with only one option. If you can’t understand it… meme it.

Pirates fans turn confusing "Hoist the Cone" shirt into a viral moment

Pirates fans didn’t just laugh at the shirt — they weaponized the confusion. Within hours, social media filled with absurd images including the Pirate Parrot waving an orange traffic cone on a flagpole and Paul Skenes triumphantly hoisting a traffic cone like the Stanley Cup. Even AI-generated images started circulating of Pirates players celebrating with cones after home runs.

At this point, the internet has essentially turned the slogan into a full-blown alternate Pirates mythology. Forget Jolly Rogers — apparently, the real rallying symbol of Pittsburgh baseball is now a high-visibility safety cone from a PennDOT work zone.

If there’s one thing Pirates fans have mastered over the years, it’s coping with absurdity through humor.

A confusing slogan? Turn it into a joke. An overpriced shirt? Turn it into a viral moment. Ironically, the bizarre slogan might end up working in Fanatics’ favor.

Thanks to Pirates Twitter, “Hoist the Cone” is now a viral inside joke, and the images of Skenes lifting traffic cones and the Pirate Parrot leading cone-themed celebrations are spreading far beyond Pittsburgh.

And if the Pirates start winning this year, don’t be surprised if someone in the stands actually shows up at PNC Park holding a bright orange traffic cone above their head.