Steve Chitren
Stephen Vincent Chitren (born June 8, 1967) is a Japanese-born former Major League Baseball pitcher. He played for the Oakland Athletics during the 1990 and 1991 seasons. Chitren was born in Japan in 1967 where his father was stationed with the United States Air Force. His father was subsequently transferred to Las Vegas where Chitren grew up. Chitren played college baseball at Stanford where he set the school records for most saves in a season and in a career. Chitren was also on the mound for the clinching outs of the 1987 and 1988 College World Series. In the 1987 series, he got a six-out save in the championship game. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in biology from the university. He was selected by the Oakland Athletics in the sixth round of the 1989 Major League Baseball draft. He was assigned to the Southern Oregon A's of the Northwest League to begin his professional career. He spent the majority of the 1990 season with the Huntsville Stars and led in the Southern League with 27 saves. He was the lone relief pitcher named to the postseason all-league team. Chitren made his Major League debut on September 5, 1990, at Fenway Park against the Boston Red Sox. He pitched a scoreless inning in relief of Bob Welch and struck out the first batter he faced, Scott Cooper. In the following season, he was a regular in the Oakland bullpen. He appeared in the third-most games of any pitcher on the team behind only Dennis Eckersley and Joe Klink. Chitren would not return to the Major Leagues after the 1991 season. He spent the entirety of the 1992 and 1993 seasons in the Oakland farm system and the 1994 and 1995 seasons in the Baltimore Orioles system. In 1995, he pitched in one game for the Amarillo Dillas of the independent Texas–Louisiana League. It would be his final game in professional baseball.
| Steve Chitren | |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | |
| Born: June 8, 1967 Tokyo, Japan | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| September 5, 1990, for the Oakland Athletics | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| October 2, 1991, for the Oakland Athletics | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 2–4 |
| Earned run average | 3.58 |
| Strikeouts | 66 |
| Stats at Baseball Reference | |
| Teams | |
Stephen Vincent Chitren (born June 8, 1967) is a Japanese-born former Major League Baseball pitcher. He played for the Oakland Athletics during the 1990 and 1991 seasons.[1]
Chitren was born in Japan in 1967 where his father was stationed with the United States Air Force. His father was subsequently transferred to Las Vegas where Chitren grew up.[2]
Chitren played college baseball at Stanford where he set the school records for most saves in a season and in a career.[3] Chitren was also on the mound for the clinching outs of the 1987 and 1988 College World Series.[4] In the 1987 series, he got a six-out save in the championship game.[5] He earned a Bachelor of Arts in biology from the university.[2]
He was selected by the Oakland Athletics in the sixth round of the 1989 Major League Baseball draft.[6] He was assigned to the Southern Oregon A's of the Northwest League to begin his professional career.[7] He spent the majority of the 1990 season with the Huntsville Stars and led in the Southern League with 27 saves.[7][8] He was the lone relief pitcher named to the postseason all-league team.[9]
Chitren made his Major League debut on September 5, 1990, at Fenway Park against the Boston Red Sox.[1][10] He pitched a scoreless inning in relief of Bob Welch and struck out the first batter he faced, Scott Cooper.[10] In the following season, he was a regular in the Oakland bullpen. He appeared in the third-most games of any pitcher on the team behind only Dennis Eckersley and Joe Klink.[11]
Chitren would not return to the Major Leagues after the 1991 season. He spent the entirety of the 1992 and 1993 seasons in the Oakland farm system and the 1994 and 1995 seasons in the Baltimore Orioles system. In 1995, he pitched in one game for the Amarillo Dillas of the independent Texas–Louisiana League. It would be his final game in professional baseball.[7]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "6th Round of the 1989 MLB June Amateur Draft". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
- ^ a b "Family Reunion". The Star-Ledger. May 12, 1991. p. 5:4. Retrieved December 29, 2025.
- ^ Dolan, Eric (May 9, 2017). "Stanford's Hock saves his best for final four outs". Palo Alto Weekly. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
- ^ "STANFORD WINS ANOTHER BASEBALL TITLE". Deseret News. Associated Press. June 12, 1988. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
- ^ Kroner, Steve (June 7, 2020). "June 7, 1987: Stanford tops Oklahoma State to win College World Series title". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
- ^ "6th Round of the 1989 MLB June Amateur Draft". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
- ^ a b c "Steve Chitren Minor & Independent Leagues Statistics & History". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
- ^ "1990 Southern League Pitching Leaders". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
- ^ "Southern League Postseason All-Star Teams Archive". MiLB.com. Minor League Baseball. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
- ^ a b "Oakland Athletics at Boston Red Sox Box Score, September 5, 1990". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
- ^ "1991 Oakland Athletics Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
External links
[edit]- Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference or Baseball Almanac