It turns out incoming St. John’s wing Amir Garrett will try to play two sports going forward.
After being chosen by the Cincinnati Reds in the 22nd round of the MLB First-Year Players’ Draft Tuesday, Garrett plans to play baseball in the summer and with Steve Lavin’s Red Storm in the winter.
He will not play baseball for St. John’s, which has a strong program.
“If he went high, it would have been one or the other,” Garrett’s father, Darrow, told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “We love Steve Lavin, and I told everyone it would have taken a lot to just walk away from him. This way he can still play basketball at St. John’s and do the things he wants to be able to do.”
The 6-foot-6 left-hander grew up playing both sports in Lawndale, Calif., but did not play baseball at Findlay (Nev.) Prep because the school has no baseball team. He worked out for scouts at the College of Southern Nevada in early May and threw in the low 90s while topping out at 96 mph. He also reportedly worked out for the Seattle Mariners, impressing scouts.
“I expected to go in the top 10 rounds, but overall I’m very excited a team picked me up,” Amir Garrett told the Review-Journal. “I’m blessed to be in a situation to be able to get drafted.”
An athletic wing, Garrett is part of Lavin’s highly-ranked nine-man recruiting class.
Darrow said his son will sign with the Reds before the Aug. 15 deadline for teams to sign 2011 draft selections who have remaining college eligibility.
“As a father, I would have liked to see him get drafted higher,” Darrow Garrett told the Review-Journal. “But we’re in the right position we need to be in.”
