It is the very first lesson taught in Journalism 101 and it is Golden Rule Number One in the field. It is also a rule that should never ever ever be forgotten, no matter who you are or how far you’ve come in the world of journalism, writing, broadcasting, reporting and even blogging – “It’s better to be right than first.”

On Friday evening and much to the anticipation of Dodger fans everywhere, MLB Network Radio’s Jon Paul Morosi tweeted out that veteran free agent and former San Francisco Giants closer (and longtime Dodgers nemesis) Sergio Romo had signed with the team that he and his father grew up rooting for – the Dodgers. And while there is no disputing that Morosi got it first, he violated Golden Rule Number One – he got it wrong … at least for the time being.

Within seconds, the Twittersphere exploded due to Morosi’s tweet – to the point where Sergio Romo was actually trending for several hours. And while you can argue that by including the word “sources” in his tweet that Morosi has a bit of a disclaimer, it certainly speaks to the credibility of his sources.

Lo and behold, a little over an hour into the Romo frenzy, veteran Today’s Knuckleball and FanRag Sports writer Jon Heyman, although not first, got it right.

By all accounts, it is very likely that the soon-to-be 34-year-old Brawley, California native and Giants 2005 28th-round draft pick will indeed soon become a Dodger. But for one so-called baseball expert, it can’t happen soon enough.

Although the Romo signing appears imminent, it isn’t a done deal yet.
(Photo credit – Scot Tucker)

After all, “It’s better to be right than first.”