New York Mets

The New York Mets are 10 days in to spring training, so now's a good time to take a look at position battles and roster predictions.

While Chris Young and Scott Hairston have seen their respective stocks rising over the last week, the second base competition is still as unclear as when camp began. Add to that more uncertainty over how the bullpen will be comprised and there are still lots of questions to answer ahead of the first round of cuts.

When speaking about the competition for second base, New York Mets Manager Terry Collins said he wants to reduce the number of candidates by March 14.

Right now, the Mets have four players—Luis Castillo, Brad Emaus, Daniel Murphy and Justin Turner—trying to win a job as the Mets' starting second baseman.

Despite a strong showing from New York Mets lefty Oliver Perez on Thursday against the St. Louis Cardinals in Port St. Lucie, Perez may be on the fast track to the bullpen come Opening Day.

I am really fascinated by this Oliver Perez situation.

Earlier this week, the Mets officially announced that Carlos Beltran would make the full-time switch to right field for the 2011 season, paving the way for Angel Pagan to become the team's full-time center fielder.

The move had been widely speculated, given Beltran's surgically repaired knee and Pagan's 2010 performance.

The New York Mets saw a lot of things to like from their pitchers in a 3-0 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals today.

Oliver Perez, looking to earn a spot in the starting rotation, tossed two scoreless innings, and closer Francisco Rodriguez, in his first spring action, added a scoreless inning of his own.

The New York Mets defeated the St. Louis Cardinals today 3-0 behind RBI from David Wright, Ike Davis and Daniel Murphy.

Murphy, making his first start at second base this Spring, finished the game 1-for-3 and looked good in the field. He didn't commit an error but didn't get an opportunity to turn a double play. Murphy is one of four players competing to win the job at second base.

Everyone knows by now that New York Mets closer Francisco Rodriguez has a huge team option for 2012. It's worth $17.5 million and only becomes guaranteed if Rodriguez finishes 55 games this season and is declared healthy by doctors in the offseason.

Now, that may have not sounded like a big deal prior to last season and was most likely a given when he first signed on, but times have changed.

With the Mets' 50th season right around the corner, now is the perfect time to look back on the 10 most memorable seasons in Mets history.

The Mets have represented National League baseball in New York since 1962 and although the history of another New York team in the Bronx may be considerably most prestigious overall, the Mets have had their fair share of dominant years, culminating with four National League pennants and two World Series championships so far.

For as long as most of us can remember, the Dallas Cowboys have been America's Team. 

A lot of that has to do with the teams locale, the dearth of professional teams that existed in America's heartland when the 'Boys broke onto the expansion scene in 1960.