ESPN.com – MLB – Report: Twins rookie Mauer needs knee surgery

Does this feed the fire of those who say that Mauer is too tall to survive as a catcher? I should say so. I haven’t looked at the issue closely enough to have a strong opinion about it, but it seems likely to me that there will always be room for exceptions to such broad conclusions. So maybe most tall guys don’t become catchers because there are better roles for tall guys than crouching, but that doesn’t mean that a tall guy couldn’t do the job.

Or that all those previous tall guys who didn’t catch didn’t catch because of the wear and tear of catching.

Mauer out for three weeks isn’t a big deal. Mauer need surgery after two big league games is. Henry Blanco will see more playing time and with Matt LeCroy behind the plate more Mike Cuddyer will get more time at DH. But three weeks seems way longer at the start of the season than in July, so Mauer owners shouldn’t panic.

Not yet, anyway.