Donnelly then turned in two outstanding performances in relief in the "All-St. Louis" 1944 World Series. In his first outing, in Game 1, he retired all six St. Louis Browns to face him, but the Browns held on for a 2–1 triumph. Then, in Game 2, Donnelly relieved starting pitcher Max Lanier in the eighth inning of a 2–2 tie. Donnelly worked four scoreless frames, allowing two hits and one base on balls while striking out seven, and was the winning pitcher when pinch hitterKen O'Dea drove home the winning run in the bottom of the 11th inning.[2] The Cardinals went on to win the World Series over the Browns in six games.
Donnelly was sent to the Phillies in 1946 and spent 41⁄2 seasons with them, appearing in 113 games as both a starter and reliever. He was a member of the 1950 "Whiz Kids" edition that won the NL pennant; however, at age 36, Donnelly was one of the older players on the squad and did not appear in the 1950 World Series.
Donnelly's MLB career stat line includes 659 hits allowed in 6912⁄3 innings pitched, with 306 bases on balls, and 296 strikeouts. He recorded 27 complete games as a starter and 12 saves as a reliever.
References
^Cardinals' Media Relations, ed. (2001). St. Louis Cardinals 2001 Media Guide. Hadler Printing Company. pp. D-20.
