John Foster (baseball)

John Norman Foster (born May 17, 1978) is an American former professional baseball pitcher and currently pitching coach for the Chinatrust Brothers of the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL).

Career
Foster was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 25th round of the 1999 Major League Baseball draft. Foster began his big league career with the Braves in 2002, after being called up from the Triple-A Richmond Braves. In his rookie season, he went 1–0 with a 10.80 earned run average and 6 strikeouts.

On December 16, 2002, Foster was traded, along with Wes Helms, to the Milwaukee Brewers for Ray King. With Milwaukee, he went 2–0, with a 4.71 ERA and 16 strikeouts.

In 2005, after being picked by the Chicago Cubs in the Rule 5 draft in 2004 and undergoing surgery on a torn labrum, Foster returned to the Braves when his contract was purchased from Triple-A Richmond.

Foster was signed by the Atlanta Braves during the 2005 season to provide the Braves with a left-handed relief pitcher, after the Braves had trouble with their Opening Day left-hander, Tom Martin. During the 2005 season, Foster posted a career low 4.15 ERA while working 34.2 innings in 62 games (both career highs). He also had career highs in walks (19) and strikeouts (32), as well as recording a career high 1 save.

On October 11, 2006, Foster was released by the Atlanta Braves. On October 30, 2007, Foster signed a minor league contract with the Kansas City Royals. In late March 2009 at the end of spring training, Foster retired from professional baseball.

Coaching career
On June 1, 2009, it was announced that Foster would be the new pitching coach for the Newport Gulls baseball team of the New England Collegiate Baseball League(NECBL).

He coached NCAA Division III Lehman College during the 2009 and 2010 seasons. Foster compiled an overall record of 14–43. In 2017, Foster became the pitching coach of the Chinatrust Brothers of the Chinese Professional Baseball League. On May 10, 2023, Foster shifted to the position of farm director for pitchers.