Terrance Gore, an eight-year MLB veteran known for dynamic baserunning that made him a member of three World Series championship clubs, has passed away at the age of 34.
Gore’s Major League career was wholly unique. He had just 85 regular-season plate appearances through 112 games. His first hit didn’t come until 2018 -- his fifth season in the league -- spanning just 12 at-bats.
But by that point, Gore had already racked up 23 stolen bases in the regular season and four more in the playoffs. With blazing speed that hardly ever slowed down, Gore began his career going 17-for-17 on the bases in the regular season. He quickly became someone the Royals insisted on having on their roster -- because he was the epitome of how the Royals took over baseball games during their postseason runs.
“There have been very few players who can take over a baseball game,” said former Royals general manager Dayton Moore, the architect of the 2014-15 postseason teams. “That’s exactly what he did. He became a fan favorite. He was beloved by his teammates. And he was just fearless and impactful on the bases but also off the field.”
Born in Macon, Ga., the 5-foot-7 Gore was drafted in the 20th round of the 2011 Draft out of Gulf Coast State College in Panama City, Fla. His speed, of course, was the reason he stood out to scout Colin Gonzales and scouting director Lonnie Goldberg. It fit right in with Moore’s vision for the Royals.
“We were targeting speed and impactful players,” Moore said. “Who could win the game with their legs? Terrance was a natural fit for us and the type of player we looked for. We paid more attention to the guys who could flat out run than power because we knew developing the power tool might not fit within our timeline. We were heavily focused on speed at that point in the Draft.”
Three years later, Gore debuted with Kansas City in 2014. He pinch-ran and stole second base in his first Major League appearance and then scored from second on a ball through the left side of the infield. He logged just two plate appearances in 11 games that season, but he went 5-for-5 in steals and then nabbed three more bases during the postseason as the franchise advanced to its first World Series since 1985.
“He was like a little brother to all of us,” Eric Hosmer said. “Such a unique situation because he was so early in his development during our playoff runs, but he had incredible speed, so we needed him on our roster in September and in the playoffs. He fit right in with the group because he was fearless. … In his situation, it was A ball to a pennant chase. He made it seem like it was going from Low-A to High-A.”
The following year, Gore stole a base during Game 4 of the American League Division Series in a win over the Astros en route to the Royals’ first championship in 30 years. He also had a steal during the 2018 National League Wild Card Game with the Cubs and then stole a career-best 13 bases in 2019 during his second stint with Kansas City.
“The fans were almost waiting for him and [Jarrod Dyson] whenever someone got on,” Royals president of baseball operations and general manager J.J. Picollo said. “You could just feel the energy in the stadium go up a level because of that. They came into the game, and everybody in the ballpark knew exactly what was about to happen, and nobody could stop them. It was like if the Royals got on base, we were really on second base because of them. It was such a weapon for us. It would energize the team, it would energize the fans. It was pretty cool.”
“There’s stealing a base,” Hosmer added, “and then there’s stealing a base when everyone knows you’re trying to steal the base.”
Gore’s energetic personality made him not just a fan favorite but a team favorite, too. No matter what clubhouse he walked into, people gravitated toward him. And celebration always seemed to follow him.
He won a World Series ring with the 2020 Dodgers and 2021 Braves as well. Gore made his only appearances with Atlanta that entire year as a pinch-runner in Game 2 of the NLDS against the Brewers. When the Braves won the World Series over the Astros, Gore was the one to FaceTime starter Charlie Morton, who had broken his leg in Game 1 and was recovering from surgery. Gore wanted to make sure Morton was included in the celebration.
For his career, the speedster Gore recorded 16 hits and just one RBI, but he stole 48 bases in 58 tries and scored 36 runs (postseason included).
Gore is survived by his wife, Britney, and three children. They live in Panama City, Fla., where Gore was working as a speed and baseball trainer while coaching his son’s baseball team.
“The thing about Terrance, one of the things I really admire -- most people looked at him as just a basestealer,” Moore said. “That fired him up a little bit. He took pride in developing as a hitter and outfielder. He could have easily just showed up every day, kept his legs in shape and basestealing skill at a high level. But he worked at all aspects of his game. He just worked really, really hard, and that continued after he stopped playing.”