Happy Birthday–February 22

Bill Klem (1874)
Clarence Mitchell (1891)
Roy Spencer (1900)
Charles O. Finley (1918)
Stubby Greer (1920)
Ryne Duren (1929)
Sparky Anderson (1934)
Steve Barber (1938)
Tom Griffin (1948)
Gerry Davis (1953)
John Halama (1972)
J. J. Putz (1977)
Brian Duensing (1983)

Bill Klem was a National League umpire from 1905-1941.  He was the first umpire to indicate his calls with arm signals, and was also the first umpire to wear an inside chest protector.  He umpired in eighteen World Series and also umpired the first all-star game.

Stubby Greer played in the minors from 1940-1958 with a career batting average of .330.  He never played in the major leagues.

Sparky Anderson was born in Bridgewater, South Dakota.

J. J. Putz was drafted by Minnesota in the seventeenth round in 1998, but did not sign.

Left-hander Brian Matthew Duensing has pitched for the Twins since 2009.  He was born in Marysville, Kansas, went to high school in Omaha, and attended the University of Nebraska.  He was drafted by the Twins in 2005.  He pitched well in his first few years in the minors and had a fine season in 2007, when he went a combined 15-6, 3.07 with a WHIP of 1.19 in nine starts at AA New Britain and 19 starts in AAA Rochester.  He pitched for the U. S. Olympic team in Beijing in 2008.    He also pitched in Rochester in 2008 and 2009 and seemed to be getting worse, posting higher ERAs and WHIPs each season.  Despite that, however, he made his major league debut in 2009, making one start in April and then being brought up in early July and staying the rest of the season.  He pitched better than one might have expected, going 5-2, 3.64 with a WHIP of 1.37 in 84 innings.  He made twenty-four appearances, nine of them starts.  He started 2010 in the Twins bullpen but again ended it as a starter, moving into the rotation in late July.  In 2011 he was in the rotation all season (other than when injured), and it did not go well.  In 2012 he appeared in 55 games, 11 of them starts, and did no better.  So far in his major league career, Brian Duensing is 28-31, 4.23, 1.38 WHIP in 485.1 innings.  He has made 164 appearances, 61 of them starts.  He is 23-24, 4.57, 1.43 WHIP as a starter; 5-7, 3.38, 1.26 WHIP as a reliever.  He turns 30 today.  If he's going to make the team this year, it will almost certainly be as a relief pitcher.