Note: This is a press release from
Former Lewis-Clark State College pitcher John Foster, who played with the Atlanta Braves and the Milwaukee Brewers, has been named head baseball coach at Lehman College, an NCAA Division III school located in West Bronx, New York.
Foster, who is originally from Stockton, Calif., played for the Warriors in 1999 after two seasons at Delta Junior College. He helped the Warriors to their 10th national title in 1999 and picked up the win in relief in the championship game. He posted a 7-3 record with a 3.72 earned run average that season and led the team in innings pitched with 87. He struck out 94 and walked 40.
Foster was drafted following his junior year by the Atlanta Braves in the 25th round. He spent three years in the Braves’ minor leagues before making his big league debut in 2002.
Foster also pitched for the Milwaukee Brewers, appearing in 23 games during the 2003 season and posting a mark of 2-0 with a 4.71 ERA. That season, he struck out 16 batters in 21 innings. Perhaps his most impressive major league stint was his second go-around with the Atlanta Braves during the 2005 season when he appeared in 62 games and posted a record of 4-2 and an ERA of 4.15. In 34.2 innings pitched, he allowed just 27 hits and struck out 32 batters while holding batters to a .213 average.
The Atlanta Braves’ Director of Player Development, Kurt Kemp, had this to say about Foster’s hiring:
"I was thrilled to learn that John had been named the Head Baseball Coach at Lehman College," Kemp said. "Since the end of his playing career, John has turned his attention to pursuing a coaching career in baseball and I know that he will put everything he has into making Lehman the best program it can possibly be."
John currently resides in New York City with his wife, Anisha.
He retired from Major League Baseball in 2009 with a record of 7-2, a 4.90 ERA, and 54 strikeouts in 60.2 innings pitched. Now at Lehman College, Foster is looking forward to a new career in collegiate coaching at Lehman College."All of my life, I have played baseball and have spent my time learning the game from others," Foster said. "I have learned so much and have applied so much during my baseball career, and now I’ll have an opportunity to coach a team and help the progression of a program. I’m looking forward to using the knowledge I gained in professional baseball as a coach at Lehman College. I’m excited and ready to go."
Lehman College Director of Athletics, Dr. Martin L. Zwiren, was extremely impressed with Foster’s collegiate and Major League Baseball career as well as his passion and knowledge for baseball. All of those factors eventually earned Foster the position.
