Three years ago this June Sports Illustrated put Joe Mauer on its cover and pondered whether Minnesota’s homegrown hero could become baseball’s first .400 hitter since Ted Williams in 1941.

Two years ago we anguished about Mauer and the Twins front office being able to agree on a contract to keep him here for many seasons to come.

Today, four games into the 2012 season, we struggle with our expectations about Mauer and if he’s really worth the $184 million, eight-year contract he signed in 2010 (then among the richest in baseball history).  He turns 29 next week and that age usually means players can still perform at their best, but the fairytale story about the former Cretin Derham-Hall three-sport natural has come upon a dark chapter.

Mauer was just another ball player last season.  Injuries and illness reduced his playing time and effectiveness.  He played in only 82 of 162 games, appearing at the plate 296 times while hitting .287 with three home runs and 30 RBI.

It’s not much fun looking at those numbers.  Not for a guy who started this season with a career batting average of .323.  Not for a hitter who won three American League batting championships and one AL MVP award.  The Mauer numbers of 2011 are far below three of his best season totals which came in 2009.  That year he hit .365 with 28 home runs and 96 RBI.

After last season Simon & Garfunkel might have crooned: “Where Have You Gone Joe Mauer? Twins Nation turns its desperate eyes toward you.”

Desperate is probably the right word.  The Twins are coming off a 99 loss season and headed toward another losing year.  Maybe a bad one.  The pitching is hurting and even a Little Leaguer knows that’s what separates the winners and losers among big league teams.

The roster has only a glove full of players who are difference makers.  Glen Perkins looks solid in the bullpen.  Denard Span plays okay in centerfield and can be an effective leadoff hitter.  Josh Willingham, the team’s new leftfielder, will probably slug 20 home runs or more.  Justin Morneau, recovering from concussion symptoms and other injuries, is starting to make contact with the ball like the slugger we remember.

And then there’s Mauer, coming off last season and hitting just .143 so far in 2012.  He needs to reboot his hitting, stay on the field and consider how he can best help his rebuilding franchise this season and beyond.  Mauer figures to be a .300 hitter again for many years.  But the Twins need something from Mauer besides ground ball singles and doubles hit into the outfield gaps.  They need power.

Mauer is 6-5, 230 pounds. If he was called to the witness stand, it would be a difficult sell if he tried to convince a jury he can’t hit more than 20 home runs each season.  Yet he’s only done that once—with his 2009 total of 28—and 2006 is the only other season that he’s even reached double figures in home runs.

When the Twins had home run hitters like Jim Thome, Michael Cuddyer, Jason Kubel and a healthy Morneau, it was much easier to watch Mauer slap the ball to all fields for singles and doubles.  But the Twins have a power outage now and could rank lowest in home runs among major league teams this season.

With his size, athleticism and bat control, couldn’t the left-handed hitting Mauer modify his swing and try to produce more home runs?  A boost in his power production would likely help the Twins score more runs and put additional excitement into a season that could turn boring.

Baseball tradition calls for a team’s best hitter to bat No. 3 in the lineup.  That hitter is almost always a double digit home run guy, frequently someone who produces 25 or more home runs.  The Twins should think about moving Mauer out of the No. 3 slot for a couple of reasons and bat him No. 2.

The transition might deliver this message: “We need more power from you, Joe.”  Maybe instead of hitting long fly ball outs to left field, Mauer would pull some pitches to right field, or even aim home runs down the left field line.

Moving Mauer to the No. 2 spot in the batting order would also give him more at bats.  The Twins, 0-4 this season, have scored six runs in four games.  See where we’re going with more at bats for the team’s best percentage hitter?

Mauer has been a great hitter during most of his big league career that began in 2004.  His career batting average of .323 ranks No. 7 among best averages in MLB since 1950.  He’s too valuable as a hitter to remain a catcher.

All the seasons squatting in a catcher’s stance does his legs no favors.  Already in 2012 foul balls have targeted his body, potentially causing damage that players at other positions don’t face.  And even before the lost season of 2011 Mauer missed games because of injuries that caused worry about his durability.

Positioning Mauer for 115 to 120 games behind the plate might have to work with the team’s limited personnel options this season.  But the club’s decision makers ought to make it a priority to find other options for their All-Star catcher.  Move Mauer to the outfield, third base, or even first base if Morneau isn’t healthy enough to do more than be the designated hitter.

Mauer is young enough to be a major contributor to Twins’ success for 10 years or more.  That success seems more likely if he transitions away from the savage grind of catching.  The relief of playing a less demanding position in the field can do nothing but maximize Mauer’s hitting.

Who knows?  Maybe Sports Illustrated will again have a cover story speculating about Mauer chasing the .400 ghost of Teddy Ballgame?  Maybe we will yet believe that Mauer was a steal at $184 million.

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