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Buster Olney
Multiple Authors
Terrance Gore, an electrifying baserunner whose speed made a significant difference in postseason games for nearly a decade, has passed away at the age of 34, as announced by the Kansas City Royals on Saturday.
As reported by USA Today, Britney Gore, his wife, shared on social media that Gore died due to complications arising from routine surgery, leaving behind three children.
“It’s heartbreaking to wake up to this news,” said Dodgers’ manager Dave Roberts, one of several major league managers who utilized Gore as a pinch runner throughout his career. “He was one of the most confident base stealers I have ever known.”
Eric Hosmer, Gore’s teammate during their time with the Royals, expressed his sorrow via text: “This is absolutely devastating news. He was an incredible teammate.”
Throughout his big-league career, Gore had 85 plate appearances, resulting in a .216 batting average. yet, during certain Septembers and Octobers, he led the majors in creating fear due to his remarkable speed. Frequently, he was added to rosters late in the regular season—first with the Royals and later with the Chicago Cubs, Dodgers, and New York Mets—to serve as a pinch runner, typically in the crucial late innings of tight games. Over the course of eight seasons, playing in just 112 regular-season games and 11 postseason games, he managed to steal 48 bases out of 58 attempts.
Buck Showalter faced Gore when the Baltimore Orioles met the Royals in the playoffs. In 2022, he also included Gore on his roster when Gore was with the Mets.
“I brought him in to discuss his role, but he was already well aware,” Showalter recounted. “He was such an asset. He blended in perfectly and had a great sense of humor.”
Gore practiced batting regularly and trained in the outfield before games. still, he and his teammates understood how he would be utilized—if the team was trailing by a run in the late innings or if the score was tied, he would be called into the game as a pinch runner.
“When the score was tied and we got him into the game, it felt like the game was already lost for the other side,” Showalter remarked.
Showalter noted that players like Gore and Deion Sanders possessed different levels of speed. While many players are fast, Showalter emphasized that Gore’s running was on a completely different level.
“We all knew we wouldn’t be able to throw him out,” he added. “He was incredibly quick, and we’d try to tag him out, especially since he sometimes popped up after reaching a base. But if we focused solely on throwing him out, we had no chance.”
During Roberts’ time with the Boston Red Sox in 2004, he had a role similar to Gore’s, famously stealing a base against Mariano Rivera and the New York Yankees in the playoffs, which helped score a crucial tying run. Roberts discussed this experience with Gore when he joined the Dodgers in 2020.
“He completely understood what I was talking about,” Roberts noted. “He was a fantastic teammate.”
Gore grew up in Georgia, and after playing for Gulf Coast State College in Panama, Florida, he was selected in the 20th round of the 2011 draft by the Royals, becoming the 606th player chosen. In the minor leagues, Gore recorded a .237 batting average with a .334 on-base percentage, hitting just one home run in 2,585 plate appearances. But his speed was undeniable.
“His acceleration was incredible,” texted Dayton Moore, former GM of the Royals. “He played with no fear on the bases. I was always concerned he might injure himself because of his aggressive slides into bases.”
Moore recalled a time when Gore contemplated quitting while playing in Single-A, but was persuaded to continue by Mike Sweeney and Lonnie Goldberg from the Royals’ organization.
“He didn’t just want to be known for stealing bases,” Moore stated. “He dedicated himself to becoming an everyday player.”
