John Stewart (baseball)
John David Stewart, Jr. is a Major League Baseball scout for the Atlanta Braves.
Stewart a lifelong resident of Granville, New York, was a standout baseball player for Granville Central Jr.-Sr. High School, where he graduated from in 1982. In 1980, Stewart, a sophomore, was the number one pitcher on a team that won a Class D State Championship. The number two pitcher received a Division I free ride scholarship, and the number three pitcher received a scholarship to Florida Southern College.
Stewart was offered a Minor League contract from the Chicago Cubs upon graduating high school, but opted to attend Georgia Tech instead. While at Georgia Tech, Stewart helped the team win a national championship.
In 1986, Stewart was drafted in the 24th round (602nd overall) of the amateur entry draft by the Atlanta Braves. Stewart pitched for two years in the Braves system before being released. After spending a year away from baseball, Stewart attempted a comeback with the Cincinnati Reds, where his father worked as a scout, but was not offered a contract. In 1989, Stewart pitched for the Salt Lake Trappers, an independent minor league team owned by Bill Murray. In 1990, Stewart pitched in Japan.
After the 1990 season, Stewart was offered a position by the Atlanta Braves as a coach. Stewart turned down the position, citing his young age, and instead took a position as a scout. Since then, he has climbed through the ranks and became one of Atlanta's most dependable scouts. He is accredited with discovering Andruw Jones. As of 2006, he is the director of regional scouting for the Braves.
In 1996, Stewart hired his father, a former minor league baseball player and major league scout as a part-time scout for the Atlanta Braves.