By Will Graves, Associated Press

PITTSBURGH — A rare Super Bowl stumble by the Steelers. A season- and perhaps career-changing injury to Sidney Crosby. Signs of life from the Pittsburgh Pirates.

All highlighted another eventful but championship-less year in western Pennsylvania sports.

The Steelers tied the Dallas Cowboys ‘ NFL record by making an eighth Super Bowl appearance in 2011. But they couldn’t bring home their seventh Lombardi Trophy, falling to the Green Bay Packers.

The Pittsburgh Penguins began 2011 in the NHL Winter Classic at Heinz Field. The Penguins lost the game, then lost superstar Sidney Crosby for more than 10 months due to concussion-like symptoms. He returned briefly last month until his symptoms resurfaced.

And while the Pirates didn’t end their ugly 18-season losing streak, the club did post a 15-win improvement over 2010.

Read More: John Grabow (P – LOS), Pittsburgh Pirates, Los Angeles Dodgers

According to reports, the Los Angeles Dodgers have signed left-handed reliever John Grabow to a minor league deal. The transaction was first tweeted by John Scanlan on Saturday and was verified by MLB Trade Rumors.

The 33-year-old Grabow struggled after he was acquired by the Chicago Cubs from the Pittsburgh Pirates in July 2009. Grabow posted a 5.52 ERA in 88 innings while knee and shoulder injuries caused him to miss games. It was a disappointing tenure especially after Grabow signed a two-year, $7.5 million extension four months into his time with the Cubs.

In 506 games over a nine-year career, Grabow is 24-19 with a 4.31 ERA in 476.1 innings pitched. He started his MLB career in 2003 with the Pirates after being selected in the 3rd round of the 1997 amateur draft.

For more on the Dodgers and their minor league deals, and more, be sure to read True Blue LA.

December 19, 2011 – Florida State League (FSL) Bradenton Marauders
BRADENTON, FL – The Pittsburgh Pirates and Bradenton Marauders are seeking concessions staff for the upcoming Spring Training and Florida State League (FSL) seasons at McKechnie Field. Jobs are part-time, gameday positions in roles including cashiering, cooking, bartending and other food services roles.

Workers are being sought immediately. Spring Training positions will last through the month of March and FSL positions will run until the conclusion of the FSL season around Labor Day. Employees will be asked to arrive at McKechnie Field on assigned gamedays. Most Spring Training gameday positions are during daytime hours while most Marauders gameday positions consist of evening shifts.

The Pittsburgh Pirates and Bradenton Marauders will be holding a Job Fair at Pirate City in the Dining Hall, 1701 27th Street East, Bradenton, FL 34208 on Thursday, January 5th and Thursday, January 19th. There will be two interview sessions held each day, the first session will run from 10:00AM – 1:00PM and the second session will be from 5:00PM – 8:00PM. Interested applicants may attend any of the four sessions.

If unable to attend the Job Fair at Pirate City, interested applicants may apply through the Online Job Fair at careers.pirates.com. Additional details regarding the Online Job Fair are also available at www.bradentonmarauders.com.

For more information about concessions positions with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Bradenton Marauders, please contact Pirate City at 941-747-3031.

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• Pittsburgh Pirates Searching for 2012 Concessions Staff – Bradenton Marauders

The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

Read More: C.J. Wilson (P – ANA), Paul Maholm (P – PIT), Mark Buehrle (P – FLA), Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago Cubs

According to a report from ESPN Chicago’s Bruce Levine, the Chicago Cubs are in negotiations with free agent left-handed starting pitcher Paul Maholm, who has spent the last seven seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Chicago Cubs have been looking for a left-handed starter this offseason, and Maholm presents a decidedly cheaper option than either C.J. Wilson or Mark Buehrle would have, especially if they can work out a deal similar to his last one:

Maholm made $6.25 million in 2011, the final season of $13.75 million deal he inked with the Pittsburgh Pirates prior to the 2009 season. He was a combined 53-73 with a 4.36 ERA during his seven seasons in Pittsburgh.

Playing in Pittsburgh didn’t do Maholm’s win-loss record any favors — he was 6-14 in 2011 — but he did post a respectable 3.66 ERA in his final season with the Pirates.

For more updates on Chicago sports, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more in-depth coverage of the Cubs, head over to Bleed Cubbie Blue. Also, check out MLB Daily Dish for Cubs rumors and transactions.