Judging from Kevin Walker’s early success with the Colorado Springs Sky Sox, it’s now possible to dial up a pitcher.
Walker was summoned by telephone from the independent Atlantic League, where he was thrashing to stay atop baseball’s scrapheap only to come West and provide a lift for the Sky Sox in their Pacific Coast League division race with the Salt Lake Bees.
Walker won three of his first five decisions, including a complete-game victory, just when the Sky Sox needed a boost.
“When baseball is taken away from you, I’m just thrilled to death to be here,” Walker said. “Thirty teams passed up on me earlier this season and yet I get to come back and play.”
Walker, a 30-year-old left-hander, didn’t join the Sky Sox through the normal playerdevelopment channels. He got the call when Marc Gustafson and Jon Weil, leaders of the Rockies’ player-development department, wrapped up a search of the independent leagues for needed pitching help.
“We looked for pitchers with major-league time,” Weil said. “That always stands out. We also had some good scouting reports on him.”
Walker had pitched in the major leagues for all or parts of five seasons with the San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants. Most of his major-league time was in the bullpen, but he started for Camden (N.J.) in the Atlantic League. In 2000, he posted a 7-1 record with the Padres in 70 appearances.
“That was my rookie year,” Walker said of the 7-1 record. “I thought this was going to be easy, but I was a young pitcher and didn’t know any better. I’m a little older, a little wiser and a lot more appreciative of the game right now.”
Walker’s 2007 season began with the Houston Astros in spring training. He didn’t make the big-league staff and was assigned to Round Rock in the PCL. That proved to be a dead- end, and he was on the sidelines when the season started.
“I waited for 10 days, but there wasn’t any interest,” Walker said. “I figured I could go pitch in the Independent League or go sit on the couch.”
Walker was ready to make his eighth start for Camden when the call came.
“I was just having fun,” Walker said. “I was going to start the next day for Camden, but they said I’d be starting for the Sky Sox instead. I got a one-day notice, but that’s fine. I’m happy to be here.”
Walker had pitched at Security Service Field before with the visiting team so he didn’t have any reservations about the Colorado Springs ballpark being the highest in elevation in professional baseball.
His complete game was a 6-2 victory over Portland at home.
“My philosophy throughout my career has been to pitch my game and just go after the hitters,” Walker said. “If you try to pitch around the elevation, you just get into more trouble.”
Searching the system
Jim Wright, the Rockies’ roving pitching coordinator, provided a first-hand view of the pitching throughout Colorado’s farm system.
Wright expects the second half of the season to be important in the development of young starters Ubaldo Jimenez at Colorado Springs and Samuel Deduno, Franklin Morales and reliever Juan Morillo at Double-A Tulsa.
“They’re all very young and they seem to be prone to having one bad inning,” Wright said. “If they get out of that clunker inning, they do fine.”
Wright lists right-handers Alan Johnson and Brandon Hynick and lefty Keith Weiser as three potential starters.
“Hynick throws strikes and he pitches on both sides of the plate,” Wright said of the starter at advanced Single-A Modesto. “Alan Johnson is a good little pitcher, but unproven at the upper levels. He has good sink on his fastball. Weiser won his 10th game the other night. He’s slightly below average with his fastball, but he wants to learn.”
Johnson has won a combined eight games at Modesto and Tulsa. Weiser has pitched at Asheville. Casey Weathers, the Rockies’ first-round draft pick last month, joins Asheville’s active roster Wednesday.
Staff writer Irv Moss can be reached at 303-954-1296 or imoss@denverpost.com.
