On this day in 1929, Rinold George "Ryne" Duren was born in Cazenovia, Wisconsin, a small village about 20 miles southwest of Wisconsin Dells. Duren was 20 when the St. Louis Browns signed him as an amateur free agent in 1949, and the team had moved to Baltimore and become the Orioles by the time he pitched his first major league game in 1954.

Duren didn't really get his first full time opportunity in the majors until 1958, his first season with the Yankees. He made the most of his shot, though, posting a 2.02 ERA and an AL-leading 20 saves in 44 appearances, making his first of three All Star appearances and finishing second to Senators outfielder Albie Pearson in the AL Rookie of the Year voting.

All told, Duren pitched ten seasons in the majors as a member of seven teams, wrapping up his career in 1965 as a member of the Phillies. He passed away in 2011, but would have turned 83 today.

With help from the B-Ref Play Index we'd also like to wish a happy birthday to:

• Seattle Pilot Steve Barber, who would have turned 74.
• Portage, Wisconsin native and 1891 Milwaukee Brewer George Davies, who would have turned 144.

On this day in 1937, Theodore Edmund Savage was born in Venice, Illinois. The Phillies signed him as an amateur free agent in 1960 and he made his big league debut with them as a 25-year-old in 1962, beginning a long and winding major league career.

Savage had spent a year as a Phillie, another as a Pirate, three with the Cardinals, two with the Cubs and single years with the Dodgers and Reds when the Brewers claimed him off waivers in April of 1970. He was 33 years old and a career .224/.316/.337 hitter but Savage had the best year of his career in Milwaukee, batting .279/.402/.482 with 12 home runs in 114 games. He split time between all three outfield positions and made 43 pinch hit appearances for the inaugural Brewers.

Despite the fact that Savage had the best year of his career the Brewers were a 36-77 team when he played in 1970, and a 29-20 team when he didn't. He appeared in just 14 games for the team in 1971 before moving along to Kansas City, where he finished his career. You can see Savage in a Brewer uniform here as part of The Virtual Card Collection.

Savage turns 75 today. With help from Brewerfan.net and the B-Ref Play Index, we'd also like to wish a happy birthday to:

• Helena Brewer Kenny Allison, who turns 22.
• 1991 Brewer Jim Olander, who turns 49.
  

On this day in 1941 Clyde "Skeeter" Wright was born in Jefferson City, Tennessee. He was still there attending Carson-Newman College when the Angels selected him in the sixth round (107th overall pick) of the 1965 draft. One year later he made his big league debut, and pitched the first eight of his ten major league seasons for California.

Following the 1973 season, though, Wright was moved to Milwaukee as part of a nine player deal. Wright appeared in 38 games (32 starts) for the Brewers in 1974 and his 4.42 ERA was respectable, but somehow he managed to become the only player in franchise history to lose 20 games in a season. No player had lost more than 18 before, and none have since:

Following the season the Brewers traded Wright to Texas, where he appeared in 25 more games in 1975 before calling it a career. Clyde's son Jaret also pitched eleven major league seasons between 1997-2007 as a member of the Indians and four other teams.

Wright turns 71 today. With help from the B-Ref Play Index we'd also like to wish a happy birthday to:

• 2003 Brewer Leo Estrella, who turns 37.
• 1953-54 Milwaukee Brave Jim Wilson, who would have turned 90.

On this day in 1938, Bob Sadowski was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He was 20 years old when the Cardinals signed him as an amateur free agent in 1958, but didn't make his major league debut until after they traded him to the Braves in 1963.

Sadowski appeared in 105 games during the Braves' final three seasons in Milwaukee, posting a 3.87 ERA with 13 complete games and eight saves. He was only 27 when the team moved to Atlanta, but his career was already more or less over: The Braves traded him to the Red Sox following the 1965 season and he made just eleven more major league appearances.

Sadowski was the youngest of three brothers who all played in the big leagues: Ed played five MLB seasons in the 60s as a member of the Angels and two other teams, and Ted was a Washington Senator/Minnesota Twin from 1960-62.

Thanks to the B-Ref Play Index for informing me that Sadowski turns 74 today. We'd also like to wish a happy birthday to former Brewer pitching coach Dave Stewart, who turns 55.

On this day in 1975 Chad Moeller was born in Upland, California. He went to USC before the Twins selected him in the seventh round (187th overall pick) in the 1996 draft. The Brewers became his third major league team when they acquired him as part of the nine player deal that sent Richie Sexson to Arizona in December of 2003.

Moeller caught 101 games for the Brewers in his first year in Milwaukee and set a new bar for offensive ineptitude. Over three seasons with the Brewers he hit just .204/.257/.319 in 196 games.

Fortunately, though, Moeller has another claim to fame: On April 27, 2004 he became just the fifth Brewer ever to hit for the cycle, and easily the most unlikely. His four hits that day represented a full 6% of his season total, and the triple was one of just seven he's hit in eleven major league seasons.

Moeller became a free agent following the 2006 season and played four more years in the majors as a member of four teams. His last appearance in the big leagues came in 2010 with the Yankees. He was in camp with the Rockies but didn't make the team last spring.

Moeller turns 37 today. With help from the B-Ref Play Index, we'd also like to wish a happy birthday to:

• 1989 Brewer LaVel Freeman, who turns 49.
• 1972 Brewer Syd O'Brien, who turns 68.

On this day in 1999 first baseman John Jaha signed with the Athletics as a free agent, ending his Brewer career. Jaha had been in the organization for 14 years, having originally been drafted by the Crew in the 14th round of the 1984 draft.

Jaha had some great seasons in Milwaukee, including a two year stretch in 1995-96 where he hit .305/.395/.556 with 54 home runs. Unfortunately those impressive moments were a little too few and far between: Over his last two seasons for the Brewers his OPS dropped below .800 and he played in just 119 of the team's 324 games.

The A's, meanwhile, got a great deal here. Jaha made the only All Star appearance of his big league career in his first season in Oakland, hitting .276/.414/.556 with a career-high 35 home runs. It was his last season as a full time major leaguer.

With help from Brewerfan.net and the B-Ref Play Index, happy birthday today to:

• Wisconsin Timber Rattler Maverick Lasker, who turns 22.

• 1981-83 Brewer Jamie Easterly, who turns 59.

• Kenosha, Wisconsin native Dick Bosman, who turns 68. Bosman played eleven major league seasons between 1966-76 as a member of the Washington Senators and two other teams.

On this day one year ago, pitchers and catchers reported to Maryvale for the first official day of spring training in 2011. It was a simpler time, certainly. We didn't know yet that Zack Greinke was reporting to camp with cracked ribs that would force him to open the season on the DL. We hadn't seen Yuniesky Betancourt in a Brewer uniform, and we had no idea that Ron Roenicke was going to start Mark Kotsay in center field in an NLCS game.

We also didn't know, however, that the team was about to sign Rickie Weeks to a long term deal, that one of the 2011 team's biggest stars (Nyjer Morgan) was still weeks away from joining the roster or that John Axford was about to post a sub-2 ERA while leading the National League in saves.

All told, given the opportunity I'd most certainly go back and experience 2011 all over again. I guess we can only hope the 2012 season is that much fun.

With help from the B-Ref Play Index, happy birthday today to:

• 2011 Brewer Sergio Mitre, who turns 31.
• 1975-76 Brewer Bobby Darwin, who turns 69.

On this day in 1950 Frederick Steven Auerbach was born in Woodland Hills, California. The Seattle Pilots drafted him in the seventh round on the 1969 January draft and he had played just 246 games in the minors when the Brewers called him up to make his major league debut in 1971.

Auerbach probably got an extended opportunity in the majors because of his ability to play shortstop but, unfortunately, I'm coming up short on words to describe just how terrible he was offensively. Over 238 career games as a Brewer during three seasons Auerbach hit just .213/.273/.265. Somehow, despite being a complete offensive liability, he played in 153 games in 1972.

The Brewers traded Auerbach in April of 1973 and he managed to hold on to play eight more season in the majors.

Auerbach, who turns 62 today, shares a birthday with new Brewer shortstop Alex Gonzalez, who turns 35. Hopefully that's all they have in common.

(Thanks to Brewerfan.net and the B-Ref Play Index for helping me find today's birthdays.)