Chaun Jones

#17 - SS (profile)

Chaun was a founding member of the DRS team, and was instrumental in recruiting many of the original players, including Felicia Pitt and Lynne Robinson. Reliable, dedicated, and always a supportive teammate, Chaun played an important part in laying the groundwork for the long and successful run Team inDRStructible has enjoyed.

Much like long-time friend and co-worker Jerry Zayas, Chaun was immediately pegged as an infielder during the team’s first practice when the DRS captain saw his attempts at tracking fly balls in the outfield. Chaun and Jerry grew up together, went to the same high school, attended classes at the same college, and finally, were both hired and worked together at DRS. It was only fitting that in the early years of the team, the two would play side by side with Chaun at shortstop and Jerry at third base.

Chaun played his first few games with DRS with a trusty beeper on his hip. At the time, he was in a constant state of anticipation of the phone call from his expectant wife Ritchie that would alert him to drop everything and rush to the hospital in time for the birth of the couple’s first child. It would be because he was home with wife and newborn son Tyler that Chaun missed playing short in the taxmen’s first-ever win.

Chaun was an awesome leadoff hitter, and still rates as the fastest player to ever suit up for DRS. He had surprising power, and with his speed, could easily leg out round trippers when any of his line drives hit the outfield gap. The only downside to Chaun’s offensive game may have been that he was too fast. More than once, Chaun was cruising around the basepaths on his way to a homerun when he sped right past the bag. As a result, he was limited to a few doubles and triples when he had to screech to a halt and back up to step on a base.

In two full seasons, 1996 and 1997, and three part-time seasons, 1998 through 2000, Chaun played a total of 31 games, in which he batted an impressive .574. In those games, Chaun scored 55 runs, had 34 runs batted in, 11 doubles, 4 triples, and 6 homeruns. Chaun had 5 base hits in a game three different times, with his best outing coming in a 1997 game against AAA in which he went 5 for 5, scored 5 runs, knocked in 4 runs, and hit for the cycle.

In 1998, Chaun left DRS to become a state trooper but has continued to play with the taxmen now and then when he finds time. However, with a busy schedule that sees long hours, and his continuing service in the National Guard, games are few and far between. But he remains on the team email list and is still around, last showing up at a game as a spectator just this past season.