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.

A.J. Burnett; One Game Does Not A Summer Make

A.J. Burnett finally won an August game wearing pinstripes and the New York Yankees are acting like they won the Powerball-- an $82.5 million lottery maybe.

The Yankees 7-4 victory over the lowly Kansas City Royals may be a sign Burnett, the much-maligned starter, has turned the corner on another season of desperation but it is nothing to cheer about.

The game proved that the ineffective righthander still can't make it through the sixth inning.

Burnett won his first game since since June 29 and, more importantly, finally won an August game as a Yankee after eight losses in-a-row.  The No. 2 starter had an 0-8 record with an ERA of 7.18 over that span.

It's been almost seven weeks since his last victory in June.  He slogged along with an 0-3 record, 6.00 ERA and four no-decisions during that losing streak.

If last night was an indication of Burnett lifting the monkey from his back, he can thank a cast of Yankees for the help.

Manager Joe Girardi lifted his starter after only 88 pitches-- probably because he's seen Burnett blow up enough times in the fifth and sixth innings this season.

"With a high salary is always high expectations," said Girardi.  "I think he's thrown the ball better than some of his outcomes he's had."

Burnett's final line read: 5 2/3 innings, 10 hits and three earned runs.

A big night by Derek Jeter (3-for-4, 3 RBI's) and Brett Gardner (2 hits, 2 RBI's) helped Burnett on the offensive side and Dave Robertson and Mariano Rivera threw perfect innings in the eighth and ninth to save the struggling Burnett from the bench.

Mark Sanchez Was Ready To Lay Down His Own Brand Of Hard Knocks On Rex Ryan

New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez admits there was a time last season when he wanted to lay down his own version of Hard Knocks on his coach Rex Ryan-- with his fists.

Last year, after Jets head coach Rex Ryan came close to benching Mark Sanchez, the quarterback said the incident nearly caused him to come to blows with the outspoken Jets coach.

According to the New York Post, Sanchez-- he of movie-star looks and lifestyle-- told GQ magazine, in the new issue featuring the NFL, he wanted to throw down a beating on his mentor and coach.

"I wanted to fight him.  I was really mad," opened up Sanchez in the revealing article.

According to Sanchez, he had not been playing well during consecutive losses to division rivals, the New England Patriots and Miami Dolphins, causing the never-shy Ryan to openly speculate about sitting down his signal-caller and replace him with back-up quarterback Mark Brunell.

Brunell was instructed by Ryan to start practicing more with the other starters.

Sanchez said he took this as a subtle message that the head coach was considering benching him and it made the Gang Green QB see red.

The scorned Sanchez put down his dukes after offensive coordinator, Brian Schottenheimer, intervened.

The article reports that Schottenheimer-- as the messenger-- reminded Sanchez of Ryan's order for Brunell to handle more of the first-team practices which made Sanchez want to call out Ryan.

"I was like [Ryan] can come tell me [himself],' recalled Sanchez.

Schottenheimer threw water on the fired up QB.

The coordinator consoled the unhappy Sanchez.  "And [Schottenheimer] is like, ' Come on, man, don't do that,'" he revealed to GQ.

Ryan and Sanchez have always had a father-son relationship-- albeit one that could blow at any time.  It's pretty easy with a no-nonsense-speaker like Ryan, even with the soft-spoken Sanchez, but the head coach has stood by his QB through all of Sanchez's growing pains in the NFL.

"Rex is super honest," said Sanchez.  "I wish he wasn't that honest at times."

In the article, Sanchez delves into his personal life as a rich single man in New York City and the boundaries he has learned to set for himself outside of the game.  He acknowledges that the rock star life style has its limits.

"You have to be a 24-year-old bachelor with the means to do anything, just about, but with the wherewithal and understanding and life skills of a 45 year-old Supreme Court judge," he said.

Even a 45 year-old Supreme Court judge has probably felt like giving the loud-mouth Jets head coach a pop on the snout at one time or another.

Two Former-St. John's Athletes Shine This Weekend; While Another Sees The Light

St. John's University had three former sports stars in the news this weekend-- all with different and compelling stories.  Same school, same weekend and three different paths. 

Keegan Bradley capped off the weekend by coming back from a three-stroke deficit to tie the leader, with three regulation holes to play, to win the PGA Championship in grand fashion after a three-hole playoff.  The rookie made a remarkable recovery, after triple-bogeying the 15th hole, to defeat Jason Dufner.  The St. John's grad ('08) was the first golfer to win a major in his first appearance in one since 1913.

The weekend kicked off with the induction of St. John's basketball legend, Chris Mullin, into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame on Friday night.  The left-handed Brooklyn gym rat was rewarded for an outstanding college, professional and Olympic basketball career.

In between, there was another sad chapter added to the life of former Red Storm basketball star Jayson Williams.  The 43 year-old Williams is preparing to move from a prison in New Jersey to Rikers Island some time next week.  The former New Jersey Net is expecting to be transferred next Friday after doing 18 months for aggravated assault, then he's to start serving a one-year sentence for a DWI in New York.

One St. John's star begins what looks like a promising career while another achieves the ultimate recognition for a career well spent.  The third can only look back and wonder "what if?"

There is Bradley's bright future, Mullin's exclamation point on his brilliant career and Williams dimmed hopes and broken dreams.

The lanky and enthusiastic Bradley (nephew of LPGA Hall of Famer, Pat Bradley) provided one of the most exciting finishes in a golf tournament in recent years by not wilting under pressure.  His clutch 35-foot  putt to birdie on the the par-three 17 was a shot for the ages.  The 25 year-old charged back with birdies on 16 and 17 and tied the fading Dufner, who bogeyed those same holes, on 18 before winning the playoff by one stroke to take home the Wanamaker Trophy.

The two golfers had to play the 16, 17 and 18th holes again in the playoff-- the same holes Bradley just conquered and Dufner flopped.

Mullin, the left-handed gym rat from Brooklyn got a standing ovation as he took the stage and stood next to his mentor and former-St. John's coach Louie Carnesecca.  The two old friends will always have the Final Four run in 1985 to keep them connected.

Mullin's career spanned four seasons at St. John's and he is still the school's career scoring leader. He was the Big East Player of the Year three times and won the Naismith Award in 1985 for being the best college player in the nation.

After being the number seven draft choice of the Golden State Warriors and, after overcoming his own demons with alcohol and home-sickness, Mullin went on to star with the Warriors and Indiana Pacers.

Mullin was a medalist on two Olympic teams and was part of the original "Dream Team' in the 1992 games.

Mullin took his knowledge and brush-cut from the court to the studio and is now an analyst for ESPN after working in various front-office positions with the Warriors from 2002-09.

The New York native would probably say, other than not winning a championship,  never suiting up for the hometown Knicks was his only regret.

While Bradley's and Mullin's fortunes are looking, and have been shining, bright; it now seems Williams is finally seeing the light.

The former Red Storm center's life has been riddled with legal and personal issues.  It began in 1988, at a St. John's game against Providence, when the hot-headed Williams got into a tussle with an opposing player and then grabbed a fan in the stands.  He was suspended for leaving the bench.

For three years the brutish Williams led St. John's to the NCAA tournament and was selected as the 21st pick in the 1990 draft.  After spending most of his time on a bench with the Philadelphia 76ers, Williams was sent to the Nets, where he languished until a breakout All-Pro season in 1997-98.

An serious leg injury essentially put an end to the forward's blossoming career after the first year of a six-year, $90 million deal.

Arrests for fights and reports of violence culminated with the shooting death of his limo driver inside  his New Jersey mansion in 2002.  After years of legal haggling, Williams was sentenced to 5 years for aggravated assault (18 months with good behavior).  He will now start serving out the drunk driving charge after hitting a tree in Manhattan's lower-east-side last year not long after a suicide attempt where he was tasered by cops in a hotel room.

The jailed Williams, 43, is reportedly attending AA meeting six days a week and teaches bible study while serving his time.

Williams life after college is a sordid collection of foolish behavior compared with the achievements of the other alums tied in with this weekend's St. John's trinity.

Life is a rugged path to walk.  For Bradley, Mullin and Williams,  it looks like there is now a promising future, a storied past and, hopefully, true redemption.

A-Rod's First Swing is a Home Run; Prepares For Yankees Return on Aug. 18

It looks like Alex Rodriguez's surgically-repaired knee has healed very well, thank you.  The New York Yankees slugger smashed a home-run with the first swing of his bat in an organized game since undergoing knee surgery last month.

Tonight, according to the YES Network, A-Rod began his rehabilitation assignment as a DH with the Class-A Tampa Yankees against the Dunedin Blue Jays and got two hits in his first three at-bats tonight.  The team plays another Florida State League game against Dunedin-- an affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays-- tomorrow.

The 36 year-old Rodriguez is expected to rejoin the New York Yankees next Thursday at Target Field in Minneapolis to open a four-game series against the Minnesota Twins.

Tomorrow, A-Rod is expected to play third-base for Tampa and, after a possible intra-squad game on Sunday, will head north to join the Scranton/Wilkes Barre Yankees on Tuesday.  The Yankees are optimistic about their third baseman's return to the majors next week.

"That's possible," said GM Brian Cashman.  "We'll take it day by day but that's the rough sketch of the potential that next week looks like."

A-Rod is returning from July 11 surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee.  He was in the midst of an 85 at-bat homer-less streak when he was injured June 19 at Wrigley Field.  An attempt to rest the knee without going under the knife proved unsuccessful.

The Yankees have won 20-of-30 games since the slugger went on the DL.  He is batting .295 with 13 homeruns and 52 RBI's in 80 games so far this season.





 

U.S. Ski Team Member Pisses Away Olympic Dreams

A drunken U.S. Ski Team member was arrested for urinating on a sleeping 11 year-old girl aboard an airline flight and, afterwards, refused to apologize for the nasty mid-flight act.  Robert "Sandy" Vietze, 18, was reportedly soused when he soiled the innocent girl while her father left her for a short time to do something this idiot didn't--use the restroom.

According to the New York Post, Vietze, who is among the 75 most elite skiers in the U.S., was on a JetBlue red-eye from Portland, Ore. to JFK in New York Wednesday when the incident took place.  He was returning to his Vermont home after a weeklong training camp with the U.S. Ski Team at Mount Hood in Oregon.

Right after takeoff, Vietze, 18, stumbled from his seat, five rows behind the girl, and relieved himself on the napping child.

"I was drunk, and I did not realize I was pissing on her leg," the un-remorseful Vietze told authorities.

Yesterday, the 6-foot-4 Vietze was bumped from the ski team's developmental roster.  Officials would not comment publicly.

The unbelievably stupid action may have just cost this brat his chance to compete in the 2014 Winter Games in Russia.  Good riddance.

The child's cancer-stricken father, who was flying with another daughter, said they were on a trip to see the girl's grandmother on Long Island.  He left his 11 year-old daughter alone while he and his other daughter were in the restrooms.

The horrified dad returned to his seat and caught Vietze in mid-stream.

"F--- that kid.  I don't want him near my family," he yelled.

Flight attendants had to separate the two men.

Vietze claims he downed eight alcoholic beverages before boarding the flight.  He was issued a federal summons for indecent exposure, but federal prosecutors decided later to drop the charges, according to Port Authority police.

The father has refused to allow his daughter to be interviewed, thus making it hard for the cops to press charges against the moron.  They traumatized family took in a Yankee game to help them recover from the incident.

Vietze, on the other hand, returned home to unbelieving neighbors.

Last year, after Vietze was invited to join the ski team, he became the toast of the Green Mountain Valley School, which calls itself "a world-class ski academy."

"He's a very nice boy, one of the nicest, most respectable young people I've ever met," a neighbor,  Colin Seaman told the Post.  "It would be very hard for me to believe this ever happened."

"We have no comment," snarled The urinator's mother,  Abigail, while she helped unload his ski equipment from a car.

Athletes and stupid antics seem to go hand-in-hand these days but this is the sickest episode I can remember in a long time.

Mariano Rivera Has Another 'Uh-Oh' Moment; Yankees Beat Angels, 6-5

Today, under the brilliant blue skies over Yankee Stadium, hot-hitting Robinson Cano made the Los Angeles Angels pay dearly for an error by Macier Izturis, after the second baseman muffed an easy ground ball that should have ended the seventh inning.  The goof led to the winning margin of a Yankees victory.  The only grey cloud in sight, on this sunny day, was the one hovering Izturis' head the rest of the game. 

With the score tied, 2-2, and two outs,  Mark Teixeira squibbed a soft blooper towards second.  Izturis bobbled, then dropped the ball after it hit him in the chest.  Teixeira was safe at first and the Yankees had the bases loaded.  Hot hitting Cano came to the plate and sent the next pitch from Scott Downs over the right field fence for the fifth grand slam of his career and a 6-2 Yankees lead. 

The Yankees held on to win the game and the series, 2-1, from the Angels but the 6-5 victory didn't come without any trepidation about Mariano Rivera.  The Yankees closer had another "blip" in the ninth inning after another fine start from starter Bartolo Colon.

Colon went six strong innings although he ended up with his second straight no-decision. The rotund righty continues to build on one of the great comeback stories in the major leagues this season.

The only slip-up in Colon's day was giving up a two-run to Alberto Callaspo in the fifth inning which gave the Angels a 2-0 lead.  Fourteen of Colon's 18 outs came from strikeouts or infield outs.  Colon finished the day going six innings, allowing 2 runs and striking out three.

The Yankees once again called on the smoking bat of Curtis Granderson.  The Yankees centerfielder skied--and I mean sent into orbit-- his 32nd home run of the season off Angels starter, Tyler Chatwood.  The homer knocked in Derek Jeter to tie the score.  It was Granderson's fourth dinger in three games.

Everything looked good for the Yankees after Robinson's curtain call.  That was until Rivera was called in to bail out an ineffective Cory Wade with one out in the ninth.

Rivera came in after Wade struck out Vernon Wells and allowed two hits which put two men on base. The Hall of Fame closer was coming off a blown save and a loss-- "a blip" as manager Joe Girardi calls them-- and a lot of hand-wringing by Yankees fans.  Rivera only needed to get the final two outs.

Digging in at the plate was the Angels pinch-hitter Russell Branyan.  Branyan-- who had eight home-runs in 47 at-bats at Yankee Stadium-- immediately sent Rivera's first pitch into the right field stands to close the score to 6-5.

Rivera did a half-snarl/half-grin as he watched the ball sail over his head and into the hushed crowd.  Uh-oh.  Could what was once called a blip, now be an epidemic many anxious fans were probably wondering.  Things were getting interesting-- and too close.

Not to worry.  The usually reliable Rivera got the next batter to ground out and the final out was a short fly to left which Brett Gardner gathered in as he crashed into the box-seat wall.

Game over and Rivera picks up his 30th save of the season for a record-extending 14th time.

It's been a long time since Yankees fans held their breath when Rivera was on the mound, if ever.

It was the ninth straight home series the Yankees have won and gave the Yankees a comfortable eight game lead over the Angels in the wild-card race.

Except for Wade, the bullpen was nearly perfect.  Rafael Soriano continued to play like the 45-save closer the Yankees spent $35 million for.  He handled the seventh inning handily but gave up his first hit in five appearances since coming off the DL on July 30.

Dave Robertson was perfect in the eighth.

After the game, Girardi was asked if he was worried about Rivera.  The manager joked, "If it happened for a month."

Girardi continued to downplay the anxiety surrounding Rivera and believes hitters are just being more aggressive with Rivera so they don't fall behind.

"He's close to the perfect closer as we'll ever see," said the manager.  "[But] He's not perfect"

Rivera said he wasn't concerned about his weapon of choice-- the cutter.

"I didn't lose velocity, " said the 41 year-old Rivera.  "I put the ball where I want it, that's about it."

Asked if he sees any trend to his last three outings, Rivera shook his head.

"It's always only one pitch, stressed the closer.  "It's one pitch, but it can't be like that."