Buster Posey

One of the more important storylines in baseball this spring training is the health and bounce-back ability of San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey.

Though it's still too early to determine who will take the field in Phoenix for the 2011 MLB All-Star Game, it's always worth a look back at who has played well in the first month of the new season.

The San Francisco Giants are looking forward to having their manager, Bruce Bochy, lead the National League All-Stars and to having the most All-Stars from San Francisco in nearly a decade.

Here's a look at the Giants All-Stars from the month of April, ranked in order of their impact for the club.

Tim Lincecum is the face of the San Francisco Giants, but in a time where team loyalty is down and money is king, is it possible that he and other beloved Giants will end up elsewhere?

If there was ever a pitcher in baseball who deserves a lifetime contract extension, it would be Tim Lincecum.

Buster Posey was a force of nature around the Bay Area even before he became a fixture in the San Francisco Giants' clubhouse.

Now that the 2011 Major League Baseball season is underway, fans are enjoying the crack of the bat and the smell of freshly cooked hot dogs in stadiums across the country.

While the season is barely a week old, it's never too early to start thinking about potential All-Stars.

Here are five National League players who could be making their first All-Star team this season.

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The Giants did not expect to start their trek to a repeat title like this.

The Giants hit a road block on Thursday's opening day at Dodger Stadium, kicking the ball around in the sixth inning.

Miguel Tejada botched a throw to second with a runner at first with one out, followed by a rare Posey throwing error with the bases loaded. Just nanoseconds before, Posey made a great save on a pitch by Lincecum in the dirt.

After an amazing 2010 season last year, which included unforgettable moments like Armando Gallaraga's near perfect game, Jose Bautista ripping a league-high 54 Homers, Roy Halladay's playoff no-hitter and a perfect Mother's Day for Dallas Braden, fans everywhere are anxiously awaiting 2011, which they hope will be even more special.  

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The San Francisco Giants have been dominating their Cactus League opponents throughout the start of spring training.

Excited and ready to gear up for back-to-back World Series championships, the Giants seem to be heading down the right road. Veterans and rookies alike are playing great baseball, and Giants fans should be starting to get the itch that only comes when it's time for baseball to begin.

I headed down to Scottsdale, Arizona last weekend to take a look at the Giants for myself, and they looked to be in great shape. Here's how I rate their performances thus far.

After being a San Francisco Giants fan since I was a little kid in 1962, and enduring so many disappointing failures, the 2010 season made it all worthwhile.  I was beginning to think the Giants winning the World Series would never happen in my lifetime. 

Although I am still basking in the afterglow of the Giants' first world championship in San Francisco, spring training is in full force.  The 2011 San Francisco Giants will be looking to defend their World Series title.

Jason Heyward and Buster Posey emerged as two of baseball's brightest stars. The 21-year-old Heyward and soon-to-be 24-year-old Posey are coming into their second seasons in the majors and both are already facing enhanced expectations.

They battled all year long for the National League Rookie of the Year Award. Heyward was awarded Baseball America's award, while Posey received it from the majority of others. Both players were deserving of the award, so it's hard to complain on who won.