Tony Plate - NY Mets Fine Both Callaway and Vargas for Incident

                                               

SAFE AT THE PLATE, WITH TONY PLATE

The New York Mets fined both Mickey Callaway and Jason Vargas for their conduct and roles in a clubhouse altercation with reporter Tim Healey from Newsday at Wrigley Field this past Sunday. A source said the fines totaled $10,000 each for Callaway and Vargas. 

The Mets did not issue further discipline and will not suspend either individual. Brodie Van Wagenen met with Callaway and then met with Vargas. He does not expect Callaway and Vargas to receive any additional discipline from Major League Baseball.

The Mets lost a very tough game to the Chicago Cubs on Sunday. Callaway was very frustrated over the loss. He had asked staff to have the reporter removed from the clubhouse, using profanity. Vargas then physically threatened the reporter and had to be restrained by his teammates from going after the reporter. 

Van Wagenen said that “The Mets organization does not condone that type of behavior. The altercation was disappointing. It was regrettable on many levels.  We are trying to create a healthy work environment for everyone that participates in the game. It includes the players, coaches, media and everyone else.”

The Mets issued a public apology to Healey on Sunday and ownership personally contacted him after the incident. Callaway described the incident as a misunderstanding. He said “I understand that I can’t control the actions or words of others, but I can always control my reaction to those things.” 

Callaway spoke to Healey since the incident and things are now fine between the both of them. 

A couple of hours after his initial press conference, he reappeared in front of the media and issued a clearer apology. He said “I apologized for my reaction. I regret the distraction it has caused the whole team. I’m not proud of what I did to Tim. I’m definitely sorry.”

Vargas gave a brief statement and didn’t take any questions and did not address the incident directly. Van Wagenen said he still has confidence in Callaway’s ability to do the job. It is unfortunate that this incident occurred.

In sports, sometimes things like this happen where tempers flare among a team after a tough loss and they lose their composure when questioned by a reporter. The media has to do their job and at the same time the team has to maintain their composure.

HOOPS - In other sports news, the NBA held their player draft and the New York Knicks drafted Duke’s RJ Barrett in the first round and Ignas Brazdeikis out of the University of Michigan in the second round. The Brooklyn Nets drafted Georgia’s Nick Claxton and UCLA’s Jaylen Hands in the second round.