Free Kicks: Windsor Edition

Expatriate is a bit busy today, so I'll be filling in for him on the Free Kicks today. Just a quick aside first, as I give many thanks to Falco and Expatriate for filling in for me over this past week. But! Plenty enough about myself, and lets line up for the kick.

Jamie Walker Not Getting Another Chance
A day after speculation about left-hander Jamie Walker's future with the Orioles, it has been announced that he's expected to be released by the organization. Fellow blogger Falco offered up his evaluation of the situation yesterday insisting that Walker deserved more time before the Orioles will release him. In all honesty however, I have to say that I do agree with the club's decision to release the struggling reliever. Jamie Walker is a stand-up guy and is a fantastic teammate from all that I have heard, but at the end of the day he just was not getting any better. Walker's best days are behind him, and the Orioles could not afford to keep trotting him out there against left handers when they were mashing him at a .458 clip. I like the guy and I like all he does volunteering with members of the armed forces, but he just wasn't able to do his job at a major league level. In his stead, the Orioles are expected to bring up Alberto Castillo, who is a lefty sidearmer; left handers are batting .256 against him at Norfolk, which isn't great but the Orioles are hoping he provides a boost to that aspect of the bullpen.

Orlando Could Still Be Magical
It is very true that the Magic were thoroughly outplayed in last night's Game 1 defeat at the Staples Center, but don't let it fool you into thinking that this series is over. Far from it, in fact. The simple fact of the matter is that Kobe Bryant had a transcendent game and the Magic's three point shooters were off the mark on wide open looks. Quite frankly anyone who knows basketball could guess that there would be a game like that in this series, as Kobe Bryant is still the best player in basketball and perimeter shooting teams always have an off night or two in the series. Dwight Howard did not get into a rhythm early and played well under his capabilities, but he's bound to have a big game if the Lakers keep guarding him one-on-one. Meanwhile, Stan Van Gundy and his staff have now seen what Jameer Nelson can contribute on the big stage in his current condition, so his minutes should be managed in a better fashion in later games.

Just remember that if nothing else has been learned about the Orlando Magic this postseason, it's that they can take a punch in the mouth and come back stronger. Just look at the Cleveland series, in which they never blinked at massive early deficits and refused to let the momentum of the series slip away after LeBron James' heroics in Game 2. The Magic have built their postseason success on bouncing back, so let's see how they come out on Sunday before writing them off.

Jamie Walker Needs Another Chance

After giving up two home runs in Tuesday's loss to the Mariners, Jamie Walker's job in the bullpen could be in trouble. Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun reports that Walker's time as an Oriole "may be numbered."

In the article Zrebiec quotes Dave Trembley as saying about Walker's future: "Obviously, I'd like things to be better; I'd like to see him be more effective against left-handed hitters. I'm aware of what's going on. Hopefully, it gets better."

Since he got here in 2007 from Detroit, his job has been to be a lefty-specialist, perhaps even be a setup man at times. His current line is not terrible, a 5.12 ERA with nine strikeouts and no walks. He has yet to earn a decision and has only blown one save. But opponents are batting .373 against him, and he has not been doing well in his job of getting out lefties. He was given another chance this season after struggling last year with injuries, and after starting well, he has done very poorly in the last four weeks.

But this is a little harsh to bring his way. No doubt Walker is struggling, and it is possible he is on his last legs at 38. But the Orioles will not be gaining much with losing Walker. No one will take him in a trade, and he won't go to the minors. Sure he isn't playing well, but he had a wonderful start to the season. Plus, another young arm would have to come up to replace him. The only person that could be brought up as a lefty specialist would be Alberto Castillo from Norfolk, but there is no telling that he will be any better. Chris Ray needs much more time and is not a lefty specialist, and no one else from the Tides would be a valid replacement. The only thing the team would gain by dropping Walker is salvaging a little bit of salary.

Obviously he needs to perform better or else the Orioles truly will need to release him, but for now, it is worth it to try to fix Walker's problems and keep him as an Orioles. Maybe he will be able to pitch better with more time from Matt Wieters. Maybe the pressure will get him to perform better. Give him the chance, for now.

(Photo credit: ESPN)