YORK -- Former major leaguer John Halama, who pitched last season for the Lancaster Barnstormers, has retired and will be the new pitching coach for the York Revolution.
Halama, 40, will work with new York manager Mark Mason, the team's former pitching coach under manager Andy Etchebarren. Etchebarren retired after the 2012 season.
"I'm excited to stay in the game and take on a new role," said Halama in a statement released by the Revolution. "I won't know exactly what the transition will be like until the season starts and I'm sure there will be a lot of things I'll have to learn and pick up along the way, but being in York and working with a former pitching coach in 'Mase', I can pick his brain and bounce ideas off of him.
"That's the beauty of being in York, I have him to help me out and guide me."
Halama finished last season as one of the top starters in the Atlantic League, despite being on of the oldest pitchers in professional baseball. He posted a 13-8 record and the fourth-lowest ERA in the league at 3.09.
Halama won 56-games during his major league career, including a career-best 14 in 2000 for Seattle. He also won 10 games for the 2001 Mariners team that tied a major league record for wins by going 116-46.
"This is where John wants to go with his life," said Barnstormers manager Butch Hobson in a statement. "He is a very smart man and really knows his stuff. I know he will be a quality pitching coach, and I can see him one day coaching in the big leagues."
Halama was originally signed by Houston as a 23-round pick out of St. Francis (NY) in the 1994 draft.
