|
|team=
|number=
|position=[[Catcher]] / [[Coach (baseball)|Coach]]
|bats=Left
|throws=Right
|birth_date={{birth date and age|1946|8|3}}
|birth_place=[[Steubenville, Ohio]], U.S.
|teams=
'''As coach'''
*[[Texas Rangers (baseball)|Texas Rangers]] ({{mlby|1980}}), {{mlby|1983}}–{{mlby|1985}})
*[[Pittsburgh Pirates]] ({{mlby|1986}}–{{mlby|1996}})
*[[Miami Marlins|Florida Marlins]] ({{mlby|1997}}–{{mlby|1998}})
*[[Los Angeles Dodgers]] ({{mlby|2006}}–{{mlby|2007}})
*[[Seattle Mariners]] ({{mlby|2014}}–{{mlby|2015}})
|awards=
* [[World Series]] champion ([[1997 World Series|1997]])
|medaltemplates=
}}
'''Richard Francis Donnelly''' (born August 3, 1946, at [[Steubenville, Ohio]]) is an American [[professional baseball]] [[Coach (baseball)|coach]]. On March 7, 2014, he was named third-base coach of the [[Seattle Mariners]], replacing [[John Stearns]].<ref name="rd32">[http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article/mlb/mariners-third-base-coach-john-stearns-steps-down-rich-donnelly-to-move-up?ymd=20140307&content_id=68855988&vkey=news_mlb mlb.com]</ref> He served in the post for two seasons, through {{baseball year|2015}}, before his release on October 9, 2015.<ref name="spoil">{{cite web|first=Bob|last=Dutton|title=Dipoto fires McClendon as Mariners' manager; several coaches also fired|date=October 9, 2015|publisher=[[Tacoma News-Tribune]]|url=http://www.thenewstribune.com/sports/mlb/seattle-mariners/mariners-insider-blog/article38328564.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170606010734/http://www.thenewstribune.com/sports/mlb/seattle-mariners/mariners-insider-blog/article38328564.html|url-status=live|archive-date=June 6, 2017|access-date=2015-12-10}}</ref> Donnelly was a [[Major League Baseball]] (MLB) [[coach (baseball)|coach]] for over 25 years, and was a [[catcher]] during his active career in [[minor league baseball]].
Donnelly had been slated to spend {{baseball year|2014}} as [[manager (baseball)|manager]] of the [[Tacoma Rainiers]] of the [[Pacific Coast League]], the Mariners' [[Triple-A (baseball)|Triple-A]] affiliate.<ref name="rd47">[http://www.thenewstribune.com/2014/01/16/2996167/veteran-donnelly-takes-over-rainiers.html ''[[Tacoma News-Tribune]]''</ref> However, Stearns underwent [[hiatal hernia]] surgery prior to [[spring training]] on February 24, and his slower-than-expected recovery caused him to step down to a [[scout (sport)|professional scouting]] post with the Mariners.<ref name="rd32"/> Donnelly was then named to take his place on the staff of manager [[Lloyd McClendon]], whose playing tenure with the [[Pittsburgh Pirates]] (1990–1994) coincided with Donnelly's service on [[Jim Leyland]]'s coaching staff.
== Personal life ==
Donnelly is on the Board of Directors for the [[International Racquetball Tour]] and is an avid racquetball player. When asked which sport he favors between baseball and racquetball, he answered racquetball without hesitating.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Racquetball: Rich Donnelly |url=https://lindamojer.com/04web_bkup/racqmag/2003/236/236feature.htm |access-date=2022-04-11 |website=lindamojer.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2013-07-31 |title=Racquetball a Joy for Cyclones' Skipper |url=https://thetablet.org/racquetball-a-joy-for-cyclones-skipper/ |access-date=2022-04-11 |website=The Tablet |language=en-US}}</ref>
{{BLP sources section|date=September 2019}}
Donnelly is rated in the top five racquetball players over 50 in the United States.{{citation needed|date=June 2014}}
Perhaps the best known story of Donnelly is his experience coaching the Florida Marlins in the 1997 World Series. His 1817-year-old daughter, Amy, died of a [[brain tumor]] in 1993.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-11-09 |title=Former Pirates coach Rich Donnelly shares story of heartbreak, hope and a chicken |url=https://apnews.com/article/8e4aaa5689964342b1b59f985cc7e31b |access-date=2022-03-21 |website=AP NEWS |language=en}}</ref> Amy attended a 1992 playoff game in which Rich was coaching. She noticed that he would cup his hands over his mouth while yelling out instructions to runners on second base. After the game, she asked, "Dad, what are you telling them? That the chicken runs at midnight, or what?" SinceAfter her death, the"The DonnellyChicken familyRuns wouldat deemMidnight" thatwas asengraved on her catchphrasetombstone and serveit inspiration forbecame the family motto.<ref name=":2">{{citationCite web needed|datetitle=SeptemberRon Cook: Rich Donnelly finds inspiration in face of tragedy |url=https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/ron-cook/2019/01/13/rich-donnelly-chicken-runs-at-midnight-book-pittsburgh-pirates-mlb/stories/201901130043 |access-date=2022-04-11 |website=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |language=en}}</ref>
In 1997, as a member of the Florida Marlins, he met [[Craig Counsell]], a player his son Tim nicknamed "Chicken" because of his unique batting stance. In the 11th inning of Game 7, Counsell reached base and was able to advance to third base as the inning progressed. Edgar Rentería then hit a single on which Counsell scored, winning the World Series for the Marlins. Rich's sons Tim and Mike, who were honorary bat boys that evening, rushed to their father in celebration. Tim pointed out to the stadium clock which read 12:00 midnight, telling his father, "The Chicken ran at midnight, Dad." Donnelly believes that Amy was sending him a message from Heaven, and this experience has strengthened his faith in God.<ref>{{cite web|last=Beattie|first=Trent|title=Otherworldly Series|url=http://www.ncregister.com/site/article/other-worldly-series/|publisher=National Catholic Register|access-date=March 7, 2014|date=September 19, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Gurnick|first=Ken|title='The chicken runs at midnight'|url=http://losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060322&content_id=1359304&vkey=spt2006news&fext=.jsp&c_id=la|work=MLB.com|access-date=March 8, 2014|date=March 22, 2006}}</ref>Donnelly's story was written in a book called ''The Chicken Runs at Midnight'' by Tom Friend. The book was released on October 2, 2018.
This story was featured on the documentary ''Champions of Faith'', highlighting the stories of Catholic MLB players.{{citation needed|date=September 2019}}
Donnelly's son, Michael, was killed at age 38 in a car accident on January 7, 2018, at age 38. Michael, alongand witha anotherfew passerby he did not know,others had stopped to help a motorist, push their disabled car off the highway when a car spedstruck atMichael themand ata 65 MPHwoman. The mother-of-two was saved by Michael, pushedwho grabbed her shirt and pulled her into his body, shielding her from the otherbrunt personof the impact. Lyndsee helpingLongoria, athe woman that Michael saved, keeps in contact with Donnelly, who comforted her in the difficult months after the accident. In November 2018, she gave birth to safetyher third child, andwhom wasshe hitnamed andMichael Donnelly killedLongoria.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://sports.yahoo.com/rich-donnelly-mourns-death-another-child-212042857.html|title=MLB coach Rich Donnelly mourns after tragic death of son|work=[[Yahoo!]]|date=9 January 2018 |access-date=9 January 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Kussoy |first=Howie |date=11 July 2018 |title=Mets minor league coach opens up about unthinkable family tragedies |url=https://nypost.com/2018/07/11/mlb-coaching-icon-has-stories-of-family-heroics-you-wont-believe/ |access-date=10 April 2022 |website=New York Post}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |title=Good Samaritan Injured In Deadly Crash Says Man Who Died Saved Her Life |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFiPgr8_nRQ |language=en |access-date=2022-04-11}}</ref><ref name=":2" />
Rich Donnelly has six living children.
Donnelly tells people not to feel bad for him, but rather to appreciate time they can spend with their own families.{{citation needed|date=September 2019}}
''The Chicken Runs at Midnight'' by Tom Friend is a book about Donnelly's story, released on October 2, 2018. The book was featured on the documentary ''Champions of Faith'', highlighting the stories of Catholic MLB players.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2016-10-25 |title=WATCH: Baseball coach Rich Donnelly and "the chicken runs at midnight" |url=https://aleteia.org/2016/10/25/watch-baseball-coach-rich-donnelly-and-the-chicken-runs-at-midnight/ |access-date=2022-04-11 |website=Aleteia — Catholic Spirituality, Lifestyle, World News, and Culture |language=en}}</ref>
In addition to his daughter and son who have died, Rich Donnelly and his wife have six living children. Two of those six, both girls, were at the [[2017 Las Vegas shooting|Las Vegas concert]] in 2017 where 58 people were murdered by a deranged gunman, with dozens more injured. A woman just in front of Donnelly's daughters was shot in the face before people realized what was happening. Donnelly’s two daughters—Leighanne and Tiffany—watched on as women nearby were shot in the face and chest. Instead of running away from the clattering of gunfire, they protected the injured victims by jumping on top of them, acting as [[human shields]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Taylor |first=Alex |date=2017-10-03 |title=Local man’s daughters survive shooting, aid wounded |url=https://wtov9.com/news/local/local-mans-daughters-survive-shooting-aid-wounded |access-date=2022-03-21 |website=WTOV |language=en}}</ref>
“Didn’t even think about it,” Leighanne said. “There was no thought in my mind. I stayed with her. I wasn’t going to leave her.”
Tiffany also prepared and applied a tourniquet and continued to lay on top of an injured woman who had been shot in the stomach(You cannot apply a tourniquet to a torso wound), screaming to her sister: "We are not leaving these girls! If we die, we die!<nowiki>''</nowiki><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=2018-01-09 |title=Legacy of love and kindness perseveres as Rich Donnelly suffers another unfathomable tragedy |url=https://www.espn.com.au/mlb/story/_/id/22014998/legacy-love-kindness-perseveres-rich-donnelly-suffers-another-unfathomable-tragedy |access-date=2022-03-21 |website=ESPN.com |language=en}}</ref>
They lived. Natalie lived, too. So did the woman who had been shot in the stomach. Leighanne and Natalie have connected on Facebook, and it turns out they live 10 miles apart in Los Angeles. Natalie has said that she will be friends with Leighanne for life.<ref name=":1" />
One woman, unable to speak, was clinging to Leighanne for comfort. The other was unable to move while Tiffany kept her awake. Even amid the chaos, they never left these complete strangers’ sides until paramedics took over.
“I feel like I was there with that woman for what seemed like hours,” Tiffany said.<ref name=":0" />
== References ==
==External links==
{{baseballstats|brm=donnel002ric}}
*[https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/D/Pdonnr801.htm Retrosheet]
{{s-start}}
{{succession box | title=[[Pittsburgh Pirates]] [[coach (baseball)|bench coach]] | before=[[Bill Virdon]] | years=1996 | after= [[Rick Renick]]}}
{{succession box | title=[[Florida Marlins]] [[coach (baseball)|third base coach]] | before=[[Cookie Rojas]] | years=1997–1998| after= [[Fredi González]]}}
{{succession box | title=[[Colorado Rockies]] [[coach (baseball)|third base coach]] | before=[[Gene Glynn]] | years=1999–2002| after= [[Sandy Alomar, Sr.]]}}
{{succession box | title=[[Milwaukee Brewers]] [[coach (baseball)|third base coach]] | before=[[Gary Allenson]] | years=2003–2005| after= [[Dale Sveum]]}}
{{succession box | title=[[Los Angeles Dodgers]] [[coach (baseball)|third base coach]] | before=[[Glenn Hoffman]] | years=2006–2007 | after= [[Larry Bowa]]}}
|