New York Mets may be falling apart at the seams

The New York Mets had a successful weekend, but are still showing signs of falling apart.

In theory, this should have been a good weekend for the New York Mets. They had marched into Wrigley Field, and managed to split the four game series with the Chicago Cubs. While they are still an afterthought in the NL East, the Mets remain just four games back in the Wild Card chase. Another hot streak could push New York right back into the playoff picture.

Instead, the Mets are, once again, making headlines for all the wrong reasons. This time, pitcher Jason Vargas and manager Mickey Callaway got into an altercation with a reporter in the Mets clubhouse, with Vargas challenging that reporter to a fight.

One can understand that there is some pent up frustration on the part of the Mets coaching staff and players. They had been put together to win now, something that they have not done with any consistency thus far. At 37-41, the Mets are in danger of falling by the wayside.

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As it is, the Mets have been a circus for much of this year. Callaway has been on the hot seat since the season began, as he was inherited by GM Brodie Van Wagenen. In the last week, the Mets had a full team meeting, fired their pitching coach to replace him with 82 year old Phil Regan, and have had a roster shakeup. Why not add a heated clubhouse confrontation to the mix?

This can be taken one of two ways. The more optimistic can view this as a sign that the Mets still have that competitive edge, that they are not content to fade away into mediocrity. Meanwhile, the pessimistic can point to this outburst as a sign that the Mets are fraying at the seams, the tensions ready to overwhelm the clubhouse.

The next week or two could be quite telling. There has already been a great deal of upheaval in the clubhouse, as the Mets are trying to snap out of their malaise. If the season continues to be a struggle, other changes could be coming – particularly to the manager position.

The New York Mets had a heated confrontation with a reporter in the clubhouse on Sunday. While this is a sign that they still have fight, it is also a sign that they are falling apart at the seams.