Justin Morneau Concussed: Minnesota Twins' Season May End in Similar Misery

Justin Morneau isn't the Minnesota Twins' only star, but he just might be their most important one.

Year in and year out the Twinkies are a great example of how the underdog small market team can compete with the big boys and become a perennial contender. This year the Twins dealt another big blow for the small market teams by opening a beautiful new stadium and locking up their franchise player Joe Mauer. 

This year has been another banner year as they won yet another AL Central Title and have been one of the best teams in baseball.

They have a balanced lineup with speedsters Denard Span and Orlando Hudson to set the table for Mauer, Jason Kubel, and Delmon Young—who seems to finally be reaching his potential under manager Ron Gardenhire. 

In addition Jim Thome has hit 25 home runs and helped boost this lineup to a level it has not been at in years. The fielding and bullpen, as always in Minnesota, is stellar thanks to some savvy midseason moves to pick up Matt Capps and Brian Fuentes.

Francisco Liriano has returned to the ace form he showed before Tommy John surgery and will certainly give his team a formidable ace. The pitching after that is shaky, but nothing to scoff at as Carl Pavano has been sometimes brilliant while Scott Baker and Kevin Slowey continue to put up solid numbers.

However this lack of pitching depth could possibly be made up for if it weren't for the crushing news today that former AL MVP Justin Morneau will miss the entire ALDS.

The absence of a player like Morneau cannot be fully quantified, but I can guarantee that the lack of that second transcendent bat to match with Mauer will surely be the difference between a first round exit and an extended playoff run.