Rafael (Raffy) Melchione
Founder/Director of Big League Baseball Instruction

Hitting Coordinator / Hiting Coach, Catching Coach

Rafael played professionally from 1995 to 2002 with stops in Anaheim with the Angels, and Oakland with the Athletics. In the off-seasons, Rafael began instructing hitting and developed a proven methodology for teaching the proper swing. He has served as a hitting instructor for many major and minor league players, as an instructor for the Anaheim Angels, Chicago Cubs and San Francisco Giants, and as Hitting Coach for the Mesa Miners, and the Reno Silver Sox. The Silver Sox led the independent Golden League in hitting in 2006 and Rafael was selected as a Golden League All-Star Hitting Coach. In 2007, Rafael decided to devote full time to Big League Baseball Instruction to continue the excellence started several years ago. Rafael trained under former Dodger slugger Reggie Smith and legendary hitting instructor, Jim Lefebvre. Raffy is personally responsible for placing over 140 of BLBI's students into college programs.

Among the players Raffy has tutored are:
• Geoff Jenkins - Milwaukee Brewers (2003 MLB All-Star)
• Jacob Cruz - New York Mets
• Marcus Jensen - 7 Year Major Leaguer
• Victor Hall - Philadelphia Phillies (AAA)
• Josh LeBlanc - Anaheim Angels (A)
• Barry Ginther - San Francisco Giants (A)
• C.J. Lang - Chicago White Sox (A)
• Tyler Johnson - Anaheim Angels (A)


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Victor (Vic) Hall

Hitting Coach / Outfield Coach

• Drafted by Diamondbacks in 1998 at age 17
• Played 9 years of professional baseball with    Diamondbacks,Yankees, and Phillies.
• Made two stops at the Major League level with Astros and Mets
• Trained under and with former Dodger slugger Reggie Smith and    legendary hitting coach Jim Lefebvre
• Tallied 341 career stolen bases

“He not only has good speed, he has world-class speed. This is one of the fastest guys in the big leagues.”
               - Gerry Hunsicker, Houston Astros General Manager

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Desi Wilson

Hitting Coach

• Played his college baseball at Fairleigh Dickinson University
• Only player to go on to MLB from that school
• Drafted by the Texas Rangers
• Made his major league debut with the San Francisco Giants on
  August 7, 1996
• Desi played 16 seasons of professional baseball
• Currently managing the Anderson Joes of the South Coast League
• Amassed an amazing 1,875 hits in his pro career
• Finished with a .311 lifetime batting average!

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Marcus Jensen

Hitting Coach / Catching Coach

• 1st round draft pick (33rd overall) of the San Francisco Giants
• Made his big league debut in April of 1996
• Played 7 seasons of major league baseball
• Played for Detroit, Milwaukee, St. Louis, Minnesota, Texas and
   Boston.
• In 2006, led the Golden League in hitting
• Led the Reno Silver Sox to 2006 championship

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Les Lancaster

Pitching Coach

• MLB pitcher for 7 seasons
• Drafted by the NY Yankees
• Made his major league debut in April, 1987 with the Cubbies
• 5 Years with Chicago Cubs as a relief pitcher
• 2 years with Detroit Tigers and St. Louis Cardinals
• Compiled a 41-28 big league record (.594) as a reliever
• Pitched in 323 MLB games, and threw 703 2/3 innings
• Manager independent Golden League Reno Silver Sox since 2005

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Chris Marini

Hitting Coach / Pitching Coach

• Local product of Ironwood High School in Glendale
• 2001 Region Player of the Year and 1st Team All Arizona
• Played at Glendale CC and the University of Arizona
• 2003 Baseball America 1st Team All-American
• 10th round draft pick of the Minnesota Twins in 2003
• Four years of professional baseball as a pitcher and an outfielder
   in the Twins and Rangers organizations
• Coached at Centennial HS in 2004 and Glendale CC in 2006
• Played for the Mesa Miners and the Reno Silver Sox of the
   Golden Baseball League
• 2006 Golden League All-Star

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Nelson Figueroa

Pitching Coach

• Drafted by the New York Mets
• Made his big league debut in 2000
• Pitched for the Diamondbacks, Brewers, Phillies, and Pirates
• MVP of 2007 Taiwan Series gathering 3 wins including Game 7.
• Currently with the New York Mets

 

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Brett Jenkins

Hitting Coach / Infield Coach

• Played at Univerity of Southern California (USC)
• Over 10 years of baseball instruction

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Jason Conti

Hitting Coach / Outfield Coach

• Played at the University of Pittsburgh
• Drafted by Diamondbacks in 1996 Amatuer Draft
• Five years of Major League baseball with Diamondbacks, Rangers,    Brewers, and Devil Rays
• Hit .257 in 78 games with Devil Rays in 2002
• Logged over 180 Major League games in the outfield
• Gained slight fame by gunning down Atlanta's Brian Jordan at 3rd
   base on consecutive nights and following that up by gunning down
   Chicago's Frank Thomas at homplate on consecutive nights.

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Jose Alguacil

Hitting Coach / Infield Coach

• Currently an infield coach with the San Francisco Giants

 

 

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Jake Hoffman

Hitting Coach / Catching Coach

• Catcher for Azusa Pacific University from 2003-04
• Played in Australia on the USA Team sponsored by the
  Milwaukee Brewers in 2003
• Former hitting/catching coach at Gateway Junior College

 

 

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Mike Sutlovich

Hitting Coach

• Currently a scout for the Seattle Mariners
• 12 years hitting and pitching instruction
• Players instructed include numerous All-Americans and
  collegiate players
• Founder of Mike Sutlovich School of Baseball (NJ based)

 

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Joey Reiman

Hitting Coach / Catching Coach

• Played college baseball at South Mountain Community College
• Played at Grand Canyon University where he was an All-American
• Drafted in the 16th round by Toronto BlueJays in 2003
• Played 3 seasons with BlueJays as an infielder and catcher
• Rule V to the Devilrays in 2005, Played 1 season
• 2007 coached at Grand Canyon University

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Jody Martinez

Hitting Coach / Infield Coach

• Played professionally for 8 years

 

 

 

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Dwayne Boxwell

Technical Services and Baseball Logistics

Dwayne is reponsible for BLBI's technical services and baseball logisitics.He is a former college and Valley League player.

 

 

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