Can Justin Morneau Do It Again Without Joe Mauer?

Ruth and Gehrig...Mantle and Maris...Mays and McCovey...Aaron and Matthews.

All superstars in their own right, all capable of carrying a team on their backs. Put them together and you had dynamite.

The Minnesota Twins' Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau don't yet belong in this rarefied company. But they've accomplished a lot in their short careers.

Mauer has two batting titles to his credit. Morneau was the American League MVP in 2006. He finished second in the voting in 2008. Only Ryan Howard (431) and Alex Rodriguez (380) have produced more runs batted in than Morneau (370) over the past three years.

There's a certain symbiosis that develops between great hitters. It's no secret that Ruth and Gehrig didn't get along, but this animosity translated into an intense rivalry that propelled the New York Yankees to unmatched success in the 1920s and 1930s.

Mantle, instead of being envious, was Maris' No. 1 supporter during the latter's quest to supplant Ruth as the single-season home run king.

McCovey acknowledged that Mays was his mentor, and Aaron and Matthews bashed 869 homers as a duo, more than the 819 amassed by Ruth and Gehrig as teammates.

Mauer and Morneau, by all accounts, enjoy an amiable relationship as equals. Perhaps it's because they're different kinds of hitters, therefore, they complement one another. In fact, Morneau is even willing to concede that Mauer may even be more critical to the Twins' success than he is.

At this point, Mauer's availability for the 2009 season is up in the air. It's a cinch, best-case scenario, that he will miss a few games at the beginning of the season.

How will that affect Morneau's productivity?

Note that in 2007, when Mauer saw action in just 109 games and "slumped" to a .293 batting average, Morneau posted solid-enough numbers with 31 home runs and 111 runs batted in. His batting average, though, was .271, a sure indication that he was feeling the pressure of producing big hits in Mauer's absence. 

A healthy and productive Joe Crede, a resurgent Michael Cuddyer and a breakthrough year for Delmon Young would go a long way toward easing the pain of Mauer's absence in the lineup. However, none of these players show the remarkable strain of offensive consistency that marks Mauer's game.

Morneau and Mauer aren't joined at the hip by any means. Yet, Mauer's back ailment threatens to separate the Twins from what they believe is their rightful due in 2009—an American League Central Division title.