WALTER (WALLY) S. FELAG, JR. (Coach, Class of 2006)

Wally Felag hit .500 and was Little League Baseball’s batting champion of 1966.

Nine years later he became involved with the Yankees and managed or coached that team from 1975 to 1999; then, after a “short vacation,” he returned to coach that team between 2002 and 2004.  Most of the time he shared coaching responsibilities with fellow Hall of Famer John Jannitto and between them, they won a number of titles and coached numerous All Star nines.

But the thing that they are both most proud of is not the winning, but the  number of youngsters who have come back over the years to tell them what a wonderful experience they had while playing Little League baseball.

During the winter months Wally found himself with time on his hands and thus became active in the Warren Schoolboy Soccer League.  From 1976 to 1999 he served as a league coach, while also functioning as secretary and player agent for almost all of those years.   And then, perhaps for a change of pace, he also functioned as a league referee in 1998 and 1999.

Wally first became involved in soccer when he was the goalie for the Warren Soccer team that won the Rhode Island League’s Summer Division Junior title in 1972. 

At Providence College he became a starter in his sophomore season and over the next three years, recorded nine shutouts while leading the Friars to two winning seasons.

The college newspaper noted that sophomore “Felag was equal to the task in containing an explosive URI team,” in a game that ended in a 1-1 tie.  And in his senior year of 1975 Wally was singled out for mention by his coach after posting a 6-0 record and 1.15 goals against average.

Eventually he took his soccer expertise and, in addition to his volunteer work in the Warren Schoolboy Soccer League, filled the roles of coach and/or assistant coach at Our Lady of Providence High School from 1976 to 1979 and in the Barrington Fall Soccer League from 1999 to 2002.

In basketball, he was a member of the Warren Basketball League’s 1970 Champions Warren High and 1990 Champions Jamiel’s and was named to the league’s All Star team on more than one occasion.

While a multi-year All Star in the Warren Softball League, he played for the 1971 playoff champions Thunder’s Thumpers and the Moe’s Tap teams that won back-to-back-to-back titles in the 1980s.  At various times in either this league or in local tournaments he was named the All-Tournament pitcher and the Golden Glove Award winner.