In 2010, Rookie of the Year Gerald Dempsey Posey III hit .305, popped 18 home runs, and provided Johnny Bench-like defense behind the plate in the Giants' championship season. Last year, his season was limited to 45 games after a brutal home plate collision that bent his leg in several directions a leg is not supposed to bend. The team, to put it mildly, did not challenge for a world title in his absence. Ergo: Posey is kinda important. The cherubic 25-year-old is not only the team's backstop but its bellwether. Should he falter, he leaves a gaping hole in a lineup thin on cherubic 25-year-old prodigies. But, should he succeed, it essentially ensures competitive baseball at AT&T Park for years to come.