"The Chicken Runs at Midnight"

[The Spin Meister]

Back when Barry Bonds and Bobby Bonnilla were playing for the Pirates, the Buccos had a third base coach named Rich Donnelly. During spring training, his daughter was feeling sick and went to a doctor in Pittsburgh. She called her dad in Bradenton to tell him she had a brain tumor and had only six months to live.

He took a few weeks off to be with his daughter and then went back to work. That fall the Pirates were in the playoffs and his daughter was well enough to attend home games. On the way home after a game, she asked why he was yelling "the chicken runs at midnight" to the base runners. He said he never said that and they had a good laugh at the goofy phrase.

The phrase became a standing joke with the family and morphed into the family mantra when things got tough and they needed a laugh. His daughter died a few months later and "The Chicken Runs at Midnight" was engraved on her tombstone.

Fast forward to 1997. Donnelly is now the third base coach of the Florida Marlins and his two teen-aged -sons are assisting in the dug out. The Marlins had a player named Counsel that had a weird batting stance and would twitch his arm. The boys said he looked like a chicken flapping his wing and gave him the nickname of The Chicken Man.

That fall the Marlins are in the World Series; Its game seven, eleventh inning, Counsel on base. Batter gets a hit, drives in the winning run and a massive celebration takes place on the field. Donnelly's son runs up to him on the field and says "Dad, look at the clock!" The time was 12:02. Son screams "The chicken really did run at midnight!" Donnelly hugged his son and collapsed thinking of his daughter looking down at them.

He later published a book about it. After the book came out, someone sent him a picture of him holding his son and in the background, you can see the scoreboard clock showing 12:04, proving the Chicken, did indeed, run at Midnight!


Merry Christmas, one and all.

 

[Obliviax]

Awesome story. Now, if it was only the tribe or bucks winning the world series!

 

[Victor E. Bell]

Got something in my eye, must be from the onions I was chopping up for the stuffing.

I thought I knew a lot of baseball lore but I never heard that story... a killer. Thanks for posting and Merry Christmas to all.

 

[Nittany Ziggy]

Got something in my eye, must be from the onions I was chopping up for the stuffing.

I thought I knew a lot of baseball lore but I never heard that story... a killer. Thanks for posting and Merry Christmas to all.

Vic - Breathe through your nose lightly when chopping onions. It prevents the tears. Although I doubt it would have helped in this instance! Merry Christmas!

 

[BobPSU92]

Great story. Thanks for sharing it.

 

[MrDibbs]

Back in the Bonilla and Bonds era, the Pirates had a mini baseball camp type event on the field at 3 rivers stadium one Sunday morning.

They had 3 or 4 stations set up so that a real life professional ball player could conduct some "mass instruction" of baseball skill.

I took my 2 sons, probably age 9 and 8 at the time. Fairly decent event for a young kid.

One of the stations was conducted by Rich Donnelly and he started his talk by saying that this was intended for the parents. I forget his exact words, but he spoke of our role as parents in developing our kids in all facets of life...not just baseball, not just sports.

When he was done and our group was moving to the next station, I made a bee line to Rich Donnelly to shake his hand and thank him for his message.

I have seen the documentary "The Chicken Runs at Midnight" a couple of times (MLB Network) and it is a powerful story of a family's love through the absolute worst situation imaginable.

 

[Snow Shoe Lion]

Back in the Bonilla and Bonds era, the Pirates had a mini baseball camp type event on the field at 3 rivers stadium one Sunday morning.

They had 3 or 4 stations set up so that a real life professional ball player could conduct some "mass instruction" of baseball skill.

I took my 2 sons, probably age 9 and 8 at the time. Fairly decent event for a young kid.

One of the stations was conducted by Rich Donnelly and he started his talk by saying that this was intended for the parents. I forget his exact words, but he spoke of our role as parents in developing our kids in all facets of life...not just baseball, not just sports.

When he was done and our group was moving to the next station, I made a bee line to Rich Donnelly to shake his hand and thank him for his message.

I have seen the documentary "The Chicken Runs at Midnight" a couple of times (MLB Network) and it is a powerful story of a family's love through the absolute worst situation imaginable.

I’ve also watched that documentary a few times and there are no dry eyes while watching it.

 

[The Spin Meister]

Article in Post Gazette a couple months ago said the book was being made into a movie.

And on a sad note, one of Donnelly's sons died last January. Seems he stopped to help a disabled car and was hit and killed by another vehicle. He was only 31 yrs old.

Poor family.

 

[Ranger Dan]

Touching story... did they ever disclose what the phrase the dad was actually saying that was misheard as the chicken runs at midnight?

 

[The Spin Meister]

Touching story... did they ever disclose what the phrase the dad was actually saying that was misheard as the chicken runs at midnight?

I never heard any guess/explanation as to what he actually said.

 

[Victor E. Bell]

I never heard any guess/explanation as to what he actually said.

After reading Spin's OP I looked around for some more info on the whole thing. Donnelly said she just made it up from the one video I saw. Led me to gather that it wasn't some mis-heard line. She just asked him if that was what he said, based on nothing in particular. Just adds to the story. So sad that her brother got killed later. I knew none of this. What a disaster for those folks. Hard to bear.