Didn't your original SQL query contain "pass"? That should work.
Although unless you have this patch it assert-crashes:
http://dovecot.org/list/dovecot-cvs/2007-February/007665.html
Yes! That patch makes it all better once I added it and added the 'pass' back into my original query.
As far as I can tell, proxying with and without SPA fine with the masteruser and MySQL.
Thanks!!!
-cassidy