Coach Is Familiar With This Place

It’s tempting to say Dodger third base coach Rich Donnelly is the pride of Steubenville, Ohio, where he has lived most of his life and still resides. But it also was the hometown of Dino Crocetti, known to the rest of the world as Dean Martin, and the town holds an annual festival for him.

Donnelly, 59, doesn’t mind playing second fiddle -- he’s done it for 25 years as a major league coach. The Dodgers are his sixth team.

Steubenville is a short drive from Pittsburgh and many of its 20,000 residents are Pirate fans. Donnelly was one of them, and in 1986 landed his dream job with the team, coaching under Jim Leyland for 11 seasons, including three consecutive division championship teams beginning in 1990.

“I grew up a Pittsburgh fan and I was a student of Pirate history,” he said. “Then I got to coach them during some big years.”

Meanwhile, Donnelly and his wife raised eight children in Steubenville. So when he returns to Pittsburgh, there are good memories.

Mostly. He had a devastating experience here on the last day of the 2005 season while the team was in Pittsburgh, getting fired by the Milwaukee Brewers. He was informed of the decision in the visiting clubhouse, where he spent much of this week helping prepare the Dodgers.

“It was out of the blue,” he said. “It was awful driving home.”

Finding another job wasn’t difficult for Donnelly, whose jocular nature helps keep the clubhouse loose. He also is a nationally ranked racquetball player, and he credits the sport with keeping him in excellent physical condition.

“This guy has been third base coach for a World Series winner,” in 1997 with the Florida Marlins, Manager Grady Little said. “He’s one of the best in the game. We’re lucky to have him.”

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Following a pregame workout that included several throws from center field to home plate, the Dodgers backed off their assertion that Kenny Lofton would be ready to play Friday when the homestand begins. Lofton has been on the disabled list all season because of a calf injury.

“All areas of his game appear ready to go, but the leg is not 100% just yet,” Little said. “It’s not looking like he won’t be ready Friday, but we’re not completely sure he will be.”