Columnist, editor spin out of control (on video!)

Today's post is literally some insider baseball with some strange bedfellows: a Herald baby shower, a Marauders game and the infamous Hooters Dizzy Bat Race Game.

Baby Savannah Lilly Conklin is due in a few weeks, so we were on deadline to throw a surprise baby shower for her parents: newsroom staffers Jennifer and Brent Conklin. And the dad-to-be unwittingly gave me a great idea. When gigging him about not attending a Marauders game yet, he quipped, "I just don't think I can get Preggie there."

Ha -- the challenge was on. And, thanks to the Pirates' Trevor Gooby and Rachelle Madrigal, we secured the Marauders suite for last night's game.(MAJOR bonus -- they were playing the Palm Beach CARDINALS!)

The night was grand. As Jennifer noted proudly, she might have the only baby girl serenaded by the National Anthem at her shower. The Marauders mascot paid a visit; dogs, peanuts and suds (for the non-pregnant and non-working, of course) were topped off by baby cake; and then came the grand finale.

Father-to-be/news editor Brent and columnist Vin Mannix were tapped for the Hooters Dizzy Bat Race Game. Anticipation built as we waited for the bottom of the sixth -- especially after an excruciating fifth inning where the Cards got pounded (hey, I admitted my bias up front).

Finally, Vin and Brent were on the field. They spun and spun and... Well, this video should go viral. Check it out in full-screen view. (Clue: Neither won. Neither will never live this down.)

They'd better keep their day jobs!

-- Joan

Lifelong Mets fan Brent Conklin is saved by a Cardinals player.


Mom-to-be compares tummies with the Marauder.


Some of the gang

Teen violence online -- how to cover?

Law enforcement reporter Robert Napper got a tip early Wednesday that a teenage brawl last week in Lakewood Ranch had turned really ugly -- and landed on YouTube. And that started some intense conversations in the newsroom on our ethical responsibilities, and how to report the news.

The incident involved middle-schoolers -- juveniles, so the laws on accessibility immediately become limited. We finally found the video on YouTube, and some faces were clearly identifiable.

I called the news editor at Bay News 9, our TV partner. His advice: Try getting the family's permission first, and then, if that fails, protect their identity. But the video is out there, and it's an enormous part of the story.

Hours later, after Robert had found out as many details as possible about this story, Bay News 9 helped us with their video expertise to make sure the teens -- particularly the victim -- were not identifiable. We posted the video with today's story.

Late this afternoon, the victim's mother called us for the first time, asking us to remove the video because prolonged exposure prolonged her son's pain. Her request was reasonable and we honored the family's wishes.

About the same time, however, another mother called about another fight today on a middle school campus that sent her daughter to the hospital. "I saw your story today, and I can't believe my daughter is going through this now," she said. "You have to report how these bullies feel they can get away with anything. They can't!"

Did the kids plan last week's fight just to get their video out there for attention? Maybe. How much exposure should we give such actions in the Herald and on Bradenton.com? How to punish such violations? I don't think our justice system has the answers yet.

-- Joan