Joel Chimelis
Encyclopedia
Joel Chimelis is a minor league baseball
hitting coach and a former professional baseball
infielder
. Although he never played in Major League Baseball
, he briefly was called up to the major league roster of the San Francisco Giants
in June 1995. He also played one season in the CPBL
in 1997, and one season in the Korea Baseball Organization
in 1998. In all, Chimelis played in baseball's minor leagues for 13 years.
, Chimelis grew up in Brooklyn, New York. He graduated from Eastern District High School in Brooklyn. He attended Howard College
in Big Spring, Texas
and also attended the University of Texas, where he played baseball on the 1988 squad and was named to the 1988 NCAA Central Region team.
by the Oakland Athletics
in the 11th round of the major league draft and sent to their Southern Oregon A's rookie-league minor league team in Medford, Oregon
for the remainder of the 1988 season. Chimelis then was promoted to play for the Modesto Athletics Single-A minor league team in and .
Chimelis then played for the minor league Shreveport Captains, a Double-A minor league team in the San Francisco Giants
organization, in 1992, 1993, and 1994, and also played for the Giants' Triple-A minor league team, the Phoenix Firebirds
, in 1992 and 1993.
On June 4, 1995, the Giants called up Chimelis to their major league roster to replace the injured infielder Matt Williams, who had broken a bone in his foot. Although several other major league teams had called up former replacement players, the Giants hadn't done so yet, and its players grumbled about the idea of welcoming a strikebreaker on the team. As a result, Chimelis, who had been hitting .294 at Phoenix, immediately was treated as an outcast by Giants players, who held a players-only meeting at which they excluded Chimelis. "I never associated with a replacement player, and I wasn't about to now," Giants first baseman Mark Carreon
told the San Francisco Chronicle in an article that appeared on June 6, 1995. "A lot of us for eight months made sacrifices. I'm sure he's a great guy (Chimelis), but we stood for something."
After a threat of player revolt, the Giants sent Chimelis back down to the minor leagues just two days later, on June 6, 1995, without Chimelis ever having appeared in a major league game. "They told me they would get me a flight out the next morning," Chimelis told the Daily Press (Virginia)
in an article that was published on August 13, 1996. "But I said, 'The hell with that. I'll go right now.' Why stay when you aren't happy and you aren't wanted? It's hard not to be angry, but there are two ways you can react to that anger. You can cry about it and dig yourself a hole, or you can build from it. All I did was try to support my family. Now I'm just trying to play baseball and do my job." Chimelis was never called back up to the major leagues again, and finished his season in Phoenix. He was released by the Giants during the first week of September in 1995.
, the Triple-A minor league club for the New York Mets
, and spent the balance of the season there. In 1997, Chimelis played for the Brother Eleplants of CPBL in Taiwan. In 1998, Chimelis played for the Hanwha Eagles in South Korea
.
Chimelis played in the Mexican League in 2000, for what the Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos
(now the Tecolotes de Nuevo Laredo
. In 2001, Chimelis played in the Mexican League and for the Quebec Capitales
in the independent Northern League. He played a stint in Puerto Rico during the winter of 2002, then returned to the Tecolotes later that year, but retired in 2003.
minor league team in the Washington Nationals
organization.
In January 2006, the Houston Astros
announced that Chimelis would become the hitting coach for the Tri-City ValleyCats, who play a short season in the New York-Penn League. Chimelis continued in that role through the 2010 season.
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
hitting coach and a former professional baseball
Professional baseball
Baseball is a team sport which is played by several professional leagues throughout the world. In these leagues, and associated farm teams, players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system....
infielder
Infielder
An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field.-Standard arrangement of positions:In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns playing offensive and defensive roles...
. Although he never played in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
, he briefly was called up to the major league roster of the San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
in June 1995. He also played one season in the CPBL
Chinese Professional Baseball League
The Chinese Professional Baseball League , or CPBL, is the top-tier professional baseball league in Taiwan. The league was established in 1989. CPBL eventually absorbed the competing Taiwan Major League in 2003...
in 1997, and one season in the Korea Baseball Organization
Korea Baseball Organization
The Korea Baseball Organization is the governing body for the professional leagues of baseball in South Korea. KBO should not be confused with the Korea Professional Baseball League. KBO was founded in 1981 and has been governing two leagues, Korea Professional Baseball and Futures League since...
in 1998. In all, Chimelis played in baseball's minor leagues for 13 years.
Early life and education
A native of Puerto RicoPuerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
, Chimelis grew up in Brooklyn, New York. He graduated from Eastern District High School in Brooklyn. He attended Howard College
Howard College
Howard College is a community college with its main campus in Big Spring, Texas and branch campuses in San Angelo and Lamesa....
in Big Spring, Texas
Big Spring, Texas
Big Spring is a city in and the county seat of Howard County, Texas, United States, at the crossroads of U.S. Highway 87 and Interstate 20. With a population of 25,233 at the 2000 census, it is the largest city between Midland to the west, Abilene to the east, Lubbock to the north, and San Angelo...
and also attended the University of Texas, where he played baseball on the 1988 squad and was named to the 1988 NCAA Central Region team.
Baseball career
In early June 1988, Chimelis was drafted as a shortstopShortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
by the Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
in the 11th round of the major league draft and sent to their Southern Oregon A's rookie-league minor league team in Medford, Oregon
Medford, Oregon
Medford is a city in Jackson County, Oregon, United States. As of the 2010 US Census, the city had a total population of 74,907 and a metropolitan area population of 207,010, making the Medford MSA the 4th largest metro area in Oregon...
for the remainder of the 1988 season. Chimelis then was promoted to play for the Modesto Athletics Single-A minor league team in and .
Chimelis then played for the minor league Shreveport Captains, a Double-A minor league team in the San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
organization, in 1992, 1993, and 1994, and also played for the Giants' Triple-A minor league team, the Phoenix Firebirds
Phoenix Firebirds
The Phoenix Firebirds, formerly the Phoenix Giants, were a Minor League Baseball team that played in Phoenix, Arizona, USA from 1958-1959, and 1966 until 1997....
, in 1992 and 1993.
Replacement player controversy
While major league players were on strike during spring training in 1995, Chimelis agreed to take the field as part of the San Francisco Giants' replacement team. Once the strike ended, Chimelis headed to the Giants' Triple-A Phoenix minor league club.On June 4, 1995, the Giants called up Chimelis to their major league roster to replace the injured infielder Matt Williams, who had broken a bone in his foot. Although several other major league teams had called up former replacement players, the Giants hadn't done so yet, and its players grumbled about the idea of welcoming a strikebreaker on the team. As a result, Chimelis, who had been hitting .294 at Phoenix, immediately was treated as an outcast by Giants players, who held a players-only meeting at which they excluded Chimelis. "I never associated with a replacement player, and I wasn't about to now," Giants first baseman Mark Carreon
Mark Carreon
Mark Carreon is a former first baseman / outfielder in Major League Baseball.-Career:From through , Carreon played for the New York Mets , Detroit Tigers , San Francisco Giants and Cleveland Indians . He also played two seasons in Japan for the Chiba Lotte Marines in and...
told the San Francisco Chronicle in an article that appeared on June 6, 1995. "A lot of us for eight months made sacrifices. I'm sure he's a great guy (Chimelis), but we stood for something."
After a threat of player revolt, the Giants sent Chimelis back down to the minor leagues just two days later, on June 6, 1995, without Chimelis ever having appeared in a major league game. "They told me they would get me a flight out the next morning," Chimelis told the Daily Press (Virginia)
Daily Press (Virginia)
The Daily Press is a morning newspaper located in Newport News, Virginia, that covers the Hampton Roads metro area of Virginia. It was established in 1896 and has been owned by the Tribune Company since July 1986...
in an article that was published on August 13, 1996. "But I said, 'The hell with that. I'll go right now.' Why stay when you aren't happy and you aren't wanted? It's hard not to be angry, but there are two ways you can react to that anger. You can cry about it and dig yourself a hole, or you can build from it. All I did was try to support my family. Now I'm just trying to play baseball and do my job." Chimelis was never called back up to the major leagues again, and finished his season in Phoenix. He was released by the Giants during the first week of September in 1995.
Remainder of his minor league career
In 1996, Chimelis started the season with the Guerreros de Oaxaca in the Mexican League. On July 26, 1996, he was signed by the Norfolk TidesNorfolk Tides
The Norfolk Tides are a minor league baseball team in the Triple-A International League. They play at Harbor Park in Norfolk, Virginia. Since 2007 they have been a farm team of the Baltimore Orioles; prior to that, they had a 38-year affiliation with the New York Mets.-Franchise history:The...
, the Triple-A minor league club for the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
, and spent the balance of the season there. In 1997, Chimelis played for the Brother Eleplants of CPBL in Taiwan. In 1998, Chimelis played for the Hanwha Eagles in South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
.
Chimelis played in the Mexican League in 2000, for what the Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos
Tecolotes de Nuevo Laredo
The Tecolotes de Nuevo Laredo formerly known as the Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos were a Mexican Baseball League team that played in the Zona Norte of the Mexican League. The Ciudad Deportiva's Estadio Nuevo Laredo is their home baseball park which has a capacity of 12,000 fans...
(now the Tecolotes de Nuevo Laredo
Tecolotes de Nuevo Laredo
The Tecolotes de Nuevo Laredo formerly known as the Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos were a Mexican Baseball League team that played in the Zona Norte of the Mexican League. The Ciudad Deportiva's Estadio Nuevo Laredo is their home baseball park which has a capacity of 12,000 fans...
. In 2001, Chimelis played in the Mexican League and for the Quebec Capitales
Quebec Capitales
The Québec Capitales are a professional baseball team based in Quebec City, in Canada. The Capitales are a member of the Canadian-American Association of Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball...
in the independent Northern League. He played a stint in Puerto Rico during the winter of 2002, then returned to the Tecolotes later that year, but retired in 2003.
After his playing career
In 2004 and 2005, Chimelis was the hitting coach for the Single-A Savannah Sand GnatsSavannah Sand Gnats
The Savannah Sand Gnats are a minor league baseball team in Savannah, Georgia and are a member of the A-level South Atlantic League. Since the 2007 season, the Sand Gnats have been an affiliate of the New York Mets.-History:...
minor league team in the Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
organization.
In January 2006, the Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
announced that Chimelis would become the hitting coach for the Tri-City ValleyCats, who play a short season in the New York-Penn League. Chimelis continued in that role through the 2010 season.