Fans have grumbled about Joe Mauer's durability pretty much since The Chosen One put on a Twins uniform. A promising rookie season (6 HRs in 107 ABs) was cut way short by a knee injury. He played just 109 games in 2007. And he missed the month of April in 2009 after the sacroiliac joint problem. Each time, Mauer has answered his critics by delivering when healthy. Three batting titles and an MVP -- including the double-dip in 2009 after coming back from that injury -- can be offered as pretty solid proof.
That said, each injury (and each time Mauer doesn't start a game even when healthy, fair or not) is another brick in the wall of perception. Combine that with his latest injury -- Mauer last played April 12, almost a full month ago, and won't be back until he's healthy enough to catch -- and we are really starting to wonder if Mauer has done some permanent damage to his reputation, if not his body. He's the face of the franchise, the $23 million man, and he's somewhat mysteriously sidelined while a season falls apart quickly.
Sure, it can be dangerous to listen to the screaming fans -- it's often hard to tell if they represent the pulse of a situation or just the volume of a tiny angry minority. But we would ask this, dear commenters:
*Has your opinion of Mauer changed since the start of the season? If so, how much?
*If Mauer returns in, say, three weeks and starts hitting at a normal standard, will all be forgiven -- or is it different this time?
