Terrance Gore was never going to be an All Star, or even an everyday starter, but the speedster made a living making a difference on the basepaths, and three World Series champions knew the value he could bring to their teams, including the 2021 World Series Braves.
While Gore only made one appearance for Atlanta during their 2021 championship run, he still managed to make his mark on the team by being the ultimate teammate after the last out was recorded.
Tragically, Gore passed away at just 34 on Friday evening after complications from a surgery.
Terrance Gore = the ultimate teammate. The 3-time World Series champ video chatted Charlie Morton after the final out so he could celebrate with the @Braves.
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) November 7, 2021
You love to see it ♥️ pic.twitter.com/oErdOSHNck
Three time World Series champion pinch-running extraordinaire Terrance Gore tragically passes away
Gore was a 20th-round pick in 2011. He was so underutilized as a minor leaguer that he considered retiring before me made the majors. Even when he made it to the majors, against all odds, he hardly played. In fact, he only had 85 career plate appearances in his nine MLB seasons, with 68% of those coming with the Royals in 2019. He had a career .226/.333/.270 slash line, good for a 61 wRC+.
Still, when the undersized outfield retired, by the time Gore played his final MLB game, he had become a legend.
The speedster made a living being employed late season by contenders as their designated pinch-runner. Gore had over 2.5 times more stolen bases than he did hits in the regular season for his career. In the playoffs, he had five career stolen bases, while slashing .000/.000/.000.
The Royals knew they had a weapon with Gore, both in the regular season and in the playoffs. In 2015, he won his first World Series ring, though he only made appearances in the ALDS and ALCS. Five years later, the Dodgers took a chance on the speedy Gore at the end of the regular season. Although he didn't make a playoff appearance, he still won his second career World Series ring thanks to his late season appearances for LA.
The next season, the Braves signed him to an minor league deal. The Georgia native seldom played for the Gwinnett Stripers that year, only appearing in 49 games, but he made sure his legs were fresh enough for a postseason run. He made just one appearance, pinch-running for Joc Pederson in Game 2 of the NLDS, but his Braves legacy moment came after the final out was recorded, and he secured his third career World Series ring.
Gore spent a total of 25 days with the Braves big league club, all during the playoff run. But he still managed to put his teammates first.
Charlie Morton had not made the trip to Houston because of his broken shin. However, he was still able celebrate with the team thanks to Gore, who immediately FaceTimed him during the on-field postgame celebrations, giving Morton the opportunity to enjoy the championship with teammates, despite being roughly 800 miles away.
Gore's selflessness is what made him so desirable for teams. Gore was able to set aside his ego to help his team in anyway possible. He was willing to sit on the bench or in the minors for entire seasons, just for the chance to enter an October game and help a team win a championship. He was, by all means, the ultimate teammate.
Because of the uniqueness of Gore's career, there's no doubt his legacy won't be forgotten anytime soon, and we're devastated that he won't be here to see just how impactful his career was. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family.