The New York Mets are under fire from all sides after another losing season, with the team currently second last in the NL East Division.
The Mets are 71-82 and will do well to break even after a torrid campaign.
A former Mets player Tommy Pham, who was traded to the Diamondbacks after four months in New York, is the latest critic.
The Athletic recently did a Deep Dive into the struggles playing out at Citi Field.
He recalled how he told Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor, "Out of all of the teams I played on, this is the least-hardest working group of position players I’ve ever played with".
Pham has been with seven MLB organizations and is well placed to make the judgement.
The response from the Mets manager Buck Showalter was hardly firecrackers and duelling pistols at dawn, and the manager was philosophical.
"Tommy [Pham] is entitled to his opinion. What works for one player may not work for another. It’s fine. I see the work these guys put in every day," Showalter said.
Jeff McNeil, a player not on Pham’s work-ethics-good-books, said, "guys are super professional around here. We continue to go about our business, and everybody comes ready to palay and does what they need to do."
Pham started out at the Cardinals before trips to the Rays, Padres, Reds, Red Sox, Mets, and Diamondbacks.
In 2017 Pham become the first Cardinals batter for 117 years to record a .300 batting average, 20 doubles, 20 stolen bases and 20 home runs in one season.
He does have respect for Lindor, Pete Alonso and Brandon Nimmo, players he described as having a good work ethic.
The feeling between him and Lindor is apparently mutual, with Lindor telling The Athletic he said to Phame, "Hey, man, thank you for teaching me to work hard again."
The Mets went 101-61 last season so there are issues at the Amazins this campaign. Whether it is a poor work ethic, bad luck, or teething problems, there is always next season to right the ship.
