In early June 1988, Chimelis was drafted as a shortstop 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 [REF].
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.