Although Chitren was born in Japan in 1967, he did not grow up there.
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 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.

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