{"id":2272170,"date":"2026-02-08T04:44:29","date_gmt":"2026-02-08T04:44:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2272170"},"modified":"2026-02-08T04:44:29","modified_gmt":"2026-02-08T04:44:29","slug":"on-terrance-gores-joy-speed-and-why-hes-forever-royal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/on-terrance-gores-joy-speed-and-why-hes-forever-royal\/","title":{"rendered":"On Terrance Gore\u2019s joy, speed and why he\u2019s Forever Royal"},"content":{"rendered":"

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For all the Chiefs have achieved in the Patrick Mahomes era, I\u2019m not sure any of that has eclipsed the sheer euphoria of the Royals\u2019 back-to-back World Series seasons in 2014 and 2015 after not so much as appearing in the playoffs since 1985.<\/p>\n

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The implausibility of it all was part of the exhilaration, to be sure. But it was all amplified by the sense of connection with a team of charismatic players we\u2019d watched grow up before our eyes.<\/p>\n

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The true magic was in how real and relatable and among us that team felt<\/a>, a sensation not limited to but epitomized by Eric Hosmer effectively turning on a bat-signal to fans by posting this on Twitter after they swept the Angels in the 2014 American League Division Series: \u201cKC you guys showed us so much love all year (we\u2019re) returning the favor for you guys tonight at @McFaddensKC #allonebigfamily see.u all there.\u201d<\/p>\n

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What was also beautiful about those teams was that they seemed to be more than the sum of their parts, teeming with very good players but few you\u2019d call superstars. Every role mattered.<\/p>\n

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Which brings us to the ever-radiant Terrance Gore, who died Friday at age 34<\/a> after what his wife, Britney, on X described as \u201ccomplications after what was supposed to have been a simple procedure.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\"Royals <\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>
Royals outfielder Terrance Gore, shown racing home on a hit by Hunter Dozier during a February 2017 spring training game against the Brewers, was known for his speed on the basepaths and infectious smile and personality in the clubhouse and dugout. John Sleezer\/file photo The Kansas City Star<\/span> <\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

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The family is \u201clost\u201d she added, their hearts shattered. And one of their three children, Skylyn, said<\/a>, \u201ci don\u2019t have a daddy any more, he\u2019s up in heaven in the stars.\u201d<\/p>\n

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None of us can know the profoundness of their loss. But certainly we can join them in memorializing Gore and thinking about him and the enduring meaning of his time here as part of something so special.<\/p>\n

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Certainly, we can think about it the way former general manager Dayton Moore did at Yordano Ventura\u2019s funeral in the Dominican Republic in 2017: In a small room near Ventura\u2019s casket, he consoled family members by telling them he and the Royals were \u201chonored to share in this sorrow and pain<\/a> with you.\u201d<\/p>\n

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While Gore went on to play for three other franchises and was on other World Series-winning teams in Los Angeles and Atlanta, no doubt he will be Forever Royal because of both his roots with the franchise \u2014 a 20th-round draft pick in 2011 \u2014 and the particular time and place and circumstances of his first term here (2014-2017).<\/p>\n

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\u201cTerrance was an unforgettable part of our organization with a unique talent that catapulted him to some of the biggest moments in Royals history,\u201d Royals general manager J.J. Picollo said in a statement. \u201cWhile his speed and athleticism were what most people immediately noticed, those of us who had the opportunity to know him also remember his energy, his humility and the impact he made in big moments on the game\u2019s biggest stage.\u201d<\/p>\n

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A sad ending, he added, \u201cto an incredible story.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The 5-foot-7 Gore never managed to become an established big-league hitter, mustering just 16 hits in his career and not managing his first until his fifth MLB season. But his warp speed and the tutelage of Royals coaching guru Rusty Kuntz<\/a> made him an X-factor in how those Royals could unnerve teams on the basepaths.<\/p>\n

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\"Kansas <\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>
Kansas City Royals outfielder Terrance Gore signs autographs for a group of fans from Leawood, Kansas (from left, Gibson Ramsey, 4, Andrew Gambach, 4, Sarah Gambach, Gavin Ramsey, 2, and Grant Ramsey) before a 2015 spring training game against the Los Angeles Angels in Tempe, Arizona. John Sleezer\/file photo The Kansas City Star<\/span> <\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

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That was whether by stolen bases, seizing extra bases or just an implied threat that at times compelled opposing defenses (see: Baltimore in the 2014 AL Championship Series) to put on shifts that left them otherwise vulnerable and off-balance.<\/p>\n

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In some ways, Gore\u2019s numbers don\u2019t match the aura of what he inflicted.<\/p>\n

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In five regular seasons with the Royals, including his return in 2019, he had 34 steals and was caught nine times. In his two postseasons with the Royals, Gore had four steals and was caught once.<\/p>\n

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But he was a distinct element of something bigger than himself, an at-times catalyst and beloved teammate<\/a> and fan favorite whose playful demeanor was part of the infectious joy of those teams.<\/p>\n

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Like the best of sprinters, he was proud of his speed. After the Royals clinched the 2015 World Series by beating the Mets in Game 5, Gore joked that he\u2019d run so fast to the mound to celebrate that he arrived before Wade Davis\u2019 glove even came down<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Earlier that season, he stood at his locker jokingly talking about whiskey<\/a> before reaching for a bottle and showing it off.<\/p>\n

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\u201cHere it is,\u201d he said, before producing something called \u201cJ.R. Watkins Pain Relief Liniment.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The product that touted itself as \u201cfast-acting heat that provides temporary relief for minor aches and pains\u201d was one of the keys to how he could get warmed up fast for pinch-running, he said.<\/p>\n

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Not that he felt he needed anything extra.<\/p>\n

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If he ever got thrown out, he said that day, it wasn\u2019t because somebody bested him.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI got myself out. You didn\u2019t get me out,\u201d he said, smiling and adding that the only way he could get erased was if he got a bad jump, fell or \u201cmight drop my glove, might want to pick it up.\u201d<\/p>\n

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He\u2019ll always be treasured here for all that helped lead to, of course.<\/p>\n

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\"Royals <\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>
Royals speedster Terrance Gore leaps into the arms of Eric Hosmer after scoring on a wild pitch from Minnesota Twins reliever Trevor May for a 4-3 win on April 10, 2016 at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City. John Sleezer\/file photo The Kansas City Star<\/span> <\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

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But also for how he could light up a stadium and a room in other ways.<\/p>\n

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\u201cKnown for his great speed but even more so for his kindness and joyful smile, Terrance will be remembered as a tremendous teammate and a dedicated family man,\u201d the Omaha Storm Chasers (the Royals\u2019 Triple-A affiliate) posted on X.<\/p>\n

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Moore, now the Texas Rangers\u2019 senior advisor of baseball operations, issued a statement about Gore on Saturday afternoon.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWe are all heartbroken to hear the devastating news \u2026\u201d he wrote. \u201cHe was deeply devoted to his beautiful family. We are all hurting (for the family) during this incredibly difficult time.<\/p>\n

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\u201cTerrance brought a high level of excitement and anticipation to the game. He was unstoppable as a base stealer, and he inspired athletes throughout our country to pursue baseball<\/p>\n

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\u201cHe was loved and respected by his very special teammates, who will continue to love his family during this time of sadness.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Because that time binds them all together and still holds us all together in some way \u2014 including now, alas, in the honor of trying to mourn him together, too.<\/p>\n

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Related Stories from Kansas City Star<\/h5>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n
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Vahe Gregorian<\/a><\/p>\n

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The Kansas City Star<\/span><\/p>\n

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Vahe Gregorian has been a sports columnist for The Kansas City Star since 2013 after 25 years at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. He has covered a wide spectrum of sports, including 10 Olympics. Vahe was an English major at the University of Pennsylvania and earned his master\u2019s degree at Mizzou. <\/span>\n <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n

\u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.kansascity.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For all the Chiefs have achieved in the Patrick Mahomes era, I\u2019m not sure any of that has eclipsed the sheer euphoria of the Royals\u2019 back-to-back World Series seasons in 2014 and 2015 after not so much as appearing in the playoffs since 1985. The implausibility of it all was part of the exhilaration, to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2063884,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[43],"tags":[43627,439830,439831,439746,439829],"class_list":["post-2272170","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-royalty","tag-kansas-city-royals","tag-pinch-runner","tag-royals-fan-favorite","tag-terrance-gore","tag-world-series-2014"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Kansas-City-Royals-can-expect-brighter-future-despite-2025.jpeg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2272170","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2272170"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2272170\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2272171,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2272170\/revisions\/2272171"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2063884"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2272170"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2272170"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2272170"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}