1/24 From 1960: Pops, Sid, Spanky, Bill, Bo, Mack Sign; HBD Ross & Enny

• 1968 - LHP Ross Powell was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Powell spent 48 games spread over three years in the show, closing out his MLB stand with Pittsburgh in 1995 when he was sold to the club by the Astros in late July. Jim Leyland worked him mostly from the pen, though he did give him three of his four major league starts. He didn’t impress in either role (0-2/5.23) and was released after the year. 

Pgh Press 1/25/1970

• 1970 - 29-year-old Bucco banger Willie Stargell signed his contract. He hit .287 with 29 homers in 1969 and was rewarded with an estimated (by the Pgh Press) $35,000 deal. Pops would bop 31 homers during the season, although hitting just .264. C Jerry May also put his John Doe on an agreement, making $24,000 as a backup. 
• 1989 - The Bucs reached agreements with a pair of vets, C Mike Lavalliere and RHP Bill Landrum. The arb-eligible Lavallier inked a one-year contract worth $482,500 after hitting .261 in ‘88, the mid-point between his ask and the Pirates offer. Landrum was a FA signing; he had been hurt with the Cubs for most of the ‘88 campaign and settled for a $75K salary, quite a bargain as he posted 26 saves and a 1.67 ERA in 56 outings during the season. The also settled at midpoint with arb-eligible LHP Bill Krueger for $150K, who they had acquired via an off season trade with the Dodgers after he had won 15 games at AAA Albuquerque. Krueger was in a rotation battle for a starting spot and was a late camp cut; Milwaukee claimed him and he went on to have some solid seasons, pitching for seven teams through the 1995 campaign as a long man/spot starter. 
• 1990 - 1B Sid Bream settled for the midpoint of his arbitration request and the Pirates offer, signing a one-year deal for $520K ($10K more than 1989's rate) to avoid a showdown hearing in February. He was the second player of 11 who had filed for arb to settle. 
• 1991 - LHP Enny Romero was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. After three years at Tampa Bay and another with the Nationals, the Bucs picked up Romero when he was DFA’ed by Washington in mid-April of 2018. The mid reliever fit into the Pirates profile of a big-armed, flame-throwing wild child, but only got two outings as a Pirate before being released. The Royals picked him up, gave him four calls and cut him three weeks later. Enny tossed winter ball in the Dominican and then signed on with Chunichi of the Japanese League. 

Bo - 2003 Upper Deck 40-Man

• 2002 - The Pirates signed RHP Brian Boehringer to a minor league contract, and he made the club during the spring, leading to a two-year deal worth $2.175M. Bo spent the final three seasons of his 10-year career in Pittsburgh, slashing 10-9-1/4.36 in 153 outings between 2002-04. 
• 2005 - OF Rob Mackowiak became the last arb-eligible Buc to settle, signing a one-year/$1.5M deal w/$90K in potential bonuses; he and the FO had a 2/10 deadline to beat before his salary hearing. Mack went on to hit .272 w/nine HR before being dealt to the White Sox during the following off season. Veteran OF Ben Grieve also agreed to a minor-league deal with the Pirates but was among the late cuts of camp.