Joe Mauer hit into a double play!

Today in the Twins spring training game (or yesterday or whatever)Joe Mauer grounded into a double play. It triggered a lot of jokes about Mauer being back to his form, grounding into double plays and eerything, and I remembered a period a couple years ago, where Mauer actually bunted because he was flustered by the amount of double plays he was initiating.
Let's think about this a bit more rationally, though. There are reasons why Mauer hits into double plays. He makes contact. He makes solid contact. He drives the ball up the middle. These aren't bad things. Also adding to his double play conundrum: the batters ahead of him get on base.
So I guess the question I have is... what would you have him do? He's the best hitter on the team. Do you want to waste that by bunting? Would you rather he strike out? He grounds into double plays because he's unlucky. It's not a mental thing, and it's not a physical thing. So give it up. I would rather he keep trying to drive the ball. I can't believe this would even be a debate.

Day one, and already bashing Mauer!

Ah yes, pitchers and catchers just reported, and already it's going downhill. Before I get into this piece, let me just state for the record that, yes Joe Mauer needs to be a leader this year. He is a veteran now, and he needs to take control of the clubhouse as the team leader, especially since he will be here longer than anyone else.
That said, Jim Souhan went about presenting his points in about the worst possible manner. I mean, I actually agree with his basic premise, but I can't get behind the way he got there. The entire point of the column, it seemed, instead of saying "the Twins need leadership" was to say that there were a lot of people that were talking behind Joe Mauer's back. What does that do? Essentially, Souhan is attempting to sow mistrust in Mauer. Who wants to lead an organization that isn't behind him?
Other parts of the debate, however, show just what kind of a writer Souhan is. To wit:

Whether Mauer had anything to do with their mindsets or not is difficult to ascertain, but Joe Nathan and Michael Cuddyer, two long-term Twins who had spoken of wanting to end their careers in Minnesota, left in free agency, and a group of young players the veterans nicknamed "The Fun Bunch'' seemed pleased to draw a big-league paycheck regardless whether the Twins won or lost.

So, Joe Mauer got hurt, and that's why Joe Nathan and Michael Cuddyer left? OK, maybe it wasn't the injury, but their departure was definitely his fault. Is that what I gather? And the younger players are happy to make a few hundred thousand dollars, and that's also bad, and it's also Joe Mauer's fault? Right?
And Souhan continues.

Members of the organization have pushed him to be more available for interviews, so he can present his side of every story. In sports journalism, access often blunts criticism.

If I am to extrapolate this fully, Souhan has overplayed his hand. Joe Mauer doesn't give interviews, and that means the media (of which Souhan is a member) doesn't care for him. So, basically, if Mauer was more garrulous, this article may have never happened.
Souhan turns something that is generally viewed as a positive trait, Joe Mauer's humility, into a damning character flaw. While I agree that Mauer needs to step into a leader ship role (assuming the training staff actually figures it out this year and he stays healthy) I hope he does it his way. The first thing I would do is recommend the team not give Souhan any interviews.

Sorry ladies

You have no fall back plan if you don't get to marry me. Joe Mauer is now engaged. Funny, he never seemed like the type to have women fawning over him.
Also, I intend to refrain from "leg weakness" jokes, which, depending on your attitude could be cute and wedding related, or extremely crass and honeymoon related.

Saying nice things about Joe Mauer

First, let me just express my shock that I find myself having to defend Joe Mauer (though Joe Mauer bunting is still an unforgivable offense).Joe Mauer had knee surgery in the offseason, and it came too late for him fully recover, and he was unprepared for the season, physically. Late in the season, he has developed pneumonia. In the middle, he tweaked his neck. People have called him soft, and questioned his resolve and even his remaining talent this season.
Despite being plagued by injury and only playing half of the season, he OPS+'d at a clip of 104, meaning he was above average at the plate as compared to the rest of the players in the league. Because he is a catcher, his value is even greater, and his WAR is 1.7, which ain't bad (not great, but not bad, either). Mauer generally has a high BABIP owing to his line drive clip. His BABIP is down 30 points this season, indicating an unlucky onfield performance, and his line drive rate is nearly the same, so it IS mostly luck (though his fly balls and ground balls are down and up respectively).
Basically the point is that Joe Mauer is good even in a bad season, and his bad season had a lot to do with bad luck.

Joe Mauer and first base

Ah yes, Joe Mauer bunting. Among my least favorite scenes ever at a Twins game. Last night he played first base, something that I wasn't too fond of either.
Let me get one thing straight. He was excellent at first base last night. That's part of the problem. Now, the team will be more willing to put him at first regularly. What does this mean for Justin Morneau? In essence, if you want to move Morneau you are saying you are OK with replacing Morneau with Drew Butera in the lineup. I am not OK with that.
Joe Mauer adds value as a catcher, because it's not a position in which one expects to see a lot of offense. A low power corner infielder is significantly less worthwhile, despite his batting average. That said, with the emphasis on defense that the Twins have, I worry that the team might think that it would be totally OK moving Mauer to first for good, not thinking anything of the marked lack in production the line up would have.
Of course, maybe playing first will spare his legs a little bit, and his lower body strength will allow him to start hitting it out of the park? That's the only good resultant scenario, I think.