Amir Garrett Will Pitch For Reds and Dunk For Red Storm

St. John's recruit Amir Garrett, the 6-foot-6 forward out of Findlay Prep in Henderson, Nev., just  signed a five-year deal with the Cincinnati Reds, but still intends to play basketball for the Red Storm.

Garrett was ranked by Rivals.com as the 21st best small forward in the class of 2011 and the 68th best player overall.  The elite basketball player was one of the six top-100 high school players recruited by Steve Lavin and projected to be a star with the Red Storm next year.  The only problem was , Garrett also had a fastball that has been clocked at 96 mph and he was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the 22nd round.

On Monday night, Garrett agreed to a five-year contract with the Reds-- which includes $1 million signing bonus-- but the lefthander said he will still suit up for the Red Storm.

Garrett is still eligible to play college ball and tweeted this, "I'm blessed to be a part of the # Reds baseball organization and still be able to play basketball at St. John's.  # God is Great."

The two-sport star hadn't thrown in a game since June 2010 until working out for the MLB Player Draft in June 2011.  Garrett said he wanted to give baseball one more shot.

"My dad always said, ' Don't let good talent go to waste,'" said Garrett.

He will now join what has been called the third-ranked recruiting class-- according to Rivals.com-- at St. John's.  If the school makes it to the 2012 post-season, which concludes at the end of March, Garrett would be assigned to the Reds extended spring-training or the short-season in Class-A.

Reds spokesman, Larry Herms, says their new signee will probably end up in Goodyear, Ariz competing with rehabbing players and other rookies.

The lanky lefty, with the blazing fastball, could have taken the money and walked away from college basketball, but said he will join Lavin and his young team.  The St. John's coach starts next season with 10 freshman.

"Amir Garrett is a special talent," said Lavin.  "His length, explosiveness, quickness and highly-skilled game make him ideal for our system of play."

He's also the only millionaire on the team.

God's Gift Answers St. John's Prayers

St. John's basketball coach Steve Lavin announced today that God's Gift Achiuwa signed a National Letter of Intent to play for the Red Storm in 2011-12.  The bruising post-player chose the Johnnies over Cincinnati and Washington.

This is the second big acquisition by Lavin during the spring signing period.  Last week Phil Greene, a sought-after guard from Chicago, signed with St. John's too.

The 6 foot-nine, 240 pound Achiuwa is a 2011 JUCO First Team All-American from Erie Community College.  He led the team to a 28-4 record and averaged 22.3 points, 11.7 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game.  He also shot 56% from the field and 35.7% from beyond the three-point line.

Besides having to live up to one of the great names in college basketball, Achiuwa will be playing under the New York media's spotlight.   Just picture the tabloid's back page headlines. The Nigerian minister's son seems ready for the attention.

"I am excited to come to St. John's and New York City," he said.  "They are a running team and that's what I like, fast paced basketball."

Achiuwa joins eight other top-rated recruits who have already signed with the Red Storm for 2011-12.  Standing out on St. John's No. 2 rated recruiting class (by ESPN and Rivals.com) may not be easy but, the Nigerian may be the most imposing body on a team that is already fast and big.

Lavin thinks heaven is the limit for his new signee.  "He's an ideal fit for our baseline-to-baseline attacking style of play," the head coach said.

Lavin, who was diagnosed with prostate cancer, continues to show no sign of letting it slow him down.  He inherited ten seniors in his first season as head coach of St. John's last year and lead the team to a 21-12 record and it's first NCAA tournament in nine years. The 2011-12 team will be Lavin's own team and it looks like it's ready for the rough-and-tumble Big East.

You might think the Red Storm have completed their stockpile of blue-chippers for next year but, the scary thing is, they still have two scholarship places left on the roster.

Gangstas Using Cincinnati Reds Caps For NYC Court Intimidation

By Tony Mangia

The Cincinnati Reds baseball cap has become a prominent fashion accessory in New York City courthouses and authorities are not happy about it.  This recent penchant for the Reds is not an affectionate nod to NL MVP Joey Votto or even a disrespect to the Mets.  The baseball cap with the iconic 'C' in the middle has become popular with Bloods gang members as a way to intimidate witnesses and show gang solidarity.

According to a report in the New York Daily News, more than a dozen men appear at Queens Supreme Court wearing the black-and-red caps with a red 'C' in the front.  Gang prosecutors claim that these young men are members of the Bloods---one of the most notorious and dangerous gangs in the nation.

Prosecutors say the Bloods gang members use the red 'C' on the cap as a poke-in-the-eye to their rival gang the Crips---who use blue as their wardrobe theme.  The members use other more subtle methods to show their gang red in other courtrooms, but are usually not noticed by anyone outside of the police.

Bloods consider the bright red 'C' a bitch slap to the Crips and a brazen message to testifying witnesses.  Officials attribute the high presence of Bloods in the Queens courthouse comes from the gang's stronghold in the nearby Far Rockaway housing projects.

Baseball caps as part of a gang's attire is nothing new.  The Raiders black-and-silver caps with a pirate's face was all the gang rage in Los Angeles during the '90's and the Pittsburgh Pirates hat is favored by the Latin Kings.  Right now the Reds cap is the color of choice by other gangs in Chicago and Indianapolis.

New York Yankee caps with gang colors were pulled from the shelves by manufacturer New Era in 2007.  The red or blue bandanna-patterned lids were lifted because of their gang-related colors.  Stores also removed others with a crown hanging from a gold 'NY' insignia after it became popular with the Latin Kings.  Regular citizens were afraid of being affiliated with the gang and beaten by a rival clan.

While the hats cannot be worn inside the courtrooms, court officers can only watch and let their own presence be felt.  A federal judge's 2003 decision to ban bikers colors in a Nevada courtroom was shot down and state laws are guided by it.

Court officers claim the gang members use their colors in other ways to make a silent statement.  They might wear red shoelaces or sneakers.  Even if they don't physically threaten witnesses inside the court, enough red-clad thugs staring one down could be enough to sway some one's memory or miss a court date.  What the glut of red says is 'We know who you are and why you are here.'

Not everyone who wears a Reds cap is a Blood.  Rapper Lil Wayne has made the hat (red with a white 'C') popular.  He wears it as a tribute to his son who was born in Cincinnati.  The Reds baseball cap is the third highest selling hat on the market.

Right now, the Los Angeles Dodgers cap is ranked the #1 gang-related sports cap, while the Reds is now #2.  Watch where you wear them.