Coach Alberto Fana

Upon hearing his name, anyone who knows Alberto “Chico” Fana would immediately think of baseball. With decades of baseball experience across the USA and his native Dominican Republic, both as an athlete and coach, Coach Chico is an undisputed authority in the sport. He is no stranger to nurturing young talents, having paved the way for many young players to reach the Major League throughout his long and decorated career.

Alberto Fana
coaching principles

Early Life and Playing Career

Coach Chico began his professional career in 1992 while in university, signing up as a catcher with the Phillies affiliate in his home country. He started the season with Martinsville Virginia Team the next year. Two years later, he began and ended the 1995 season with Florida State and Batavia Muckdogs. It was also during this year that he was promoted to manager for the Dominican Summer League.

Coaching Philosophy and Impact

Coach Chico Fana is a certified MLB scout. Over the course of his long career, he has helped train and prepare prospects for recruitment interviews, ensuring they are better equipped to impress coaches and managers. From 2001 to 2022, he successfully signed 26 players as MLB free agents.

Whether they want to master their mechanics or eventually become a professional athlete, young baseball players can trust Coach Chico to help them every step of the way. His sheer skill, along with his passion and dedication to the sport, has earned him much respect and admiration from both fans and players alike.

Alberto Fana

Coaching Career

Along with his professional playing career, it was Coach Chico’s journey as a coach and mentor earned him much renown and respect in the world of baseball. In 1995, he began running the Phillies’ affiliate Dominican Republic Instructional League as its manager. As leader of the hitting and catching programs, he instructed 150 players on improving their catching, hitting, fielding, running, and throwing skills.

He later served as a coach for the Gulf Coast League in Clearwater, FL, and the Batavia Muckdogs in Batavia, NY. During this period, he was instrumental in developing work programs for hitters and catchers, as well as establishing defense plans for outfielders. He also took managerial responsibilities, especially during extended games, helping to manage schedules and scouting reports.

From 2001 to the present, Coach Chico has worked extensively with young baseball players in the USA and the Dominican Republic, coordinating training sessions and serving among the coaching team. As a coach, he helps aspiring athletes master fundamental skills, offensive and defensive strategies, and the mechanics of specific roles.

Coach Chico has also leveraged his knowledge and experience to help Latin American players, previously acting as a basic English instructor for the Phillies and a Latin American liaison during his tenure with the Gulf Coast League.