(though he’s persona non grata with Sandy Alderson, we’ll have to hope Howard is still in the good graces of Sandy The Seagull.  Image swiped from Pick Me Up Some Mets)

Sporstwriter / author Howard Megdal has used a variety of platforms to tweak the New York Mets over the years, but upon taking over the Hudson Journal’s LoHud Mets Blog, he’s essentially assumed the role of a beat reporter — the same role Peter Abraham fulfilled covering the Yankees for the same publication prior to helming the Boston Globe’s Red Sox coverage.  So despite what you might think of Megdal’s prior endeavors writing for such obscure outlets as ESPN.com or The New York Times, he’s obviously gone legit and is fully deserving of media credentials next season at Citi Field, right?  Not after the Mets’ all-too-prickly ownership & management checked out his most recent book, claims Megdal.

Last week, my editor Sean Mayer received a call from Jay Horwitz, the Director of Media Relations for the New York Mets, telling him that while the Journal News can continue to receive credentials, the Mets would not be credentialing me.

Sean asked why that was, and Jay responded that the Mets “don’t like my reporting”. The team declined to respond to my multiple attempts to reach them for a fuller explanation.

But I don’t think much investigation is required. As of the final game of last season, I was credentialed. I participated in a conference call with Sandy Alderson in December.

Later in December, Wilpon’s Folly was published. The book details the financial and legal problems facing Met ownership due to their investments with Bernie Madoff. The book was no surprise to the Mets- I reached out to them once I was asked to write the book by Bloomsbury, and spoke many times on background to multiple people within the organization about all specific reporting within the book.

The book’s reporting, incidentally, has not been challenged. It has been reinforced by subsequent articles in The New York Times, Adam Rubin at ESPN.com, and numerous other places. The only response the Mets have provided is to attack me personally.

The Mets can’t very well keep out Adam Rubin, whose right to be in the clubhouse is guaranteed by his membership in the Baseball Writers Association of America. Though I am a full-time sportswriter as my profession, I am ineligible for the BBWAA because I make my living through regular, part-time gigs, not a single, full-time one. So the team is lashing out where it can.