From the time kids across America and beyond pick up a baseball glove and learn to throw a ball, making it to the Major Leagues is a longed-for dream.
From humble beginnings, Terrance Gore achieved that and more, using his dynamic speed to be part of three different world series champions in eight seasons.
Even still, Gore never forgot where it was that he came from. The person that Gore was, as a player and beyond, was extolled following Saturday’s news reports of his death at the age of 34.
“One of the most fun people to be around, you used to just love to watch him play to create havoc because I have never seen anyone create havoc on the baseball field with just their legs like he could,” said former Jones County High School baseball coach Barry Veal. “He was the kind of kid that I could coach hard. He had a great mom and at the same time, he was the kind of kid who you could joke around with and have fun.”
Simply stated, Gore made a name for himself as a speedster, going on to steal 48 bases in 58 tries in the major leagues. That speed was evident well before stops in Kansas City, Atlanta, Los Angeles, the Chicago Cubs and the New York Mets.
How far back? Take the athletic fields of Clifton Ridge Middle School, for instance.
And it spanned outside of baseball, as current Jones County Schools Athletic Director Charles David recalls from his time at CRMS.
“I had him in middle school as a running back, and if he touched the ball, he would flat tell you, ‘Coach, I’m getting gone; I am not getting hit.’ He would just take off,” David said.
As for baseball? If Gore reached base, he didn’t stay put long.
“I had Terrance since he was in sixth grade. He was just a good kid, always smiling, always joking around,” David said. “In middle school, when (Coach) Jay Jones had him in baseball, if he was on first, in two pitches, he was on third. He had the green light to go at any time he wanted to.” Once at the high school level, Veal and his baseball fellow coaches knew of Gore’s ability, and they found ways to get him on the field quickly.
“So his ninth-grade year, for us, he pinch ran for the pitcher and the catcher,” Veal said. “I think he had something like 39 stolen bases.”
And it didn’t take long for others to take notice, even if they were not even in Gray to see Gore — at least not yet.
Gore’s high school career also crossed paths with that of former Greyhounds catcher Tyler Roberts while numerous MLB scouts were on hand to watch him. That ended up being an opportunity for Gore, too.
“Before games, we had a lot of scouts there to see Tyler take batting practice,” Veal said. “I remember one scout in particular, toward the end, I told him, ‘If you get a chance in the game, try and get a time on Terrance down the baseline. He’s the fastest person I have ever seen.’“ That ask turned into Gore, also football standout on offense for the Greyhounds, running out a hit during batting practice.
“He ran it out, and all of a sudden, you saw 10 scouts swarm over to the fence and one said, ‘Coach, can he do it again?’ I said, ‘Sure.’” Veal said. “He did it again, and one of them said, ‘Coach, that’s faster than anyone in the major leagues right now.”
That day helped draw the attention of the Kansas City Royals, who drafted Gore in 2011 out of Gulf Coast State College in Panama City, Fla. He would debut for the Royals in 2014, helping them to the World Series two years in a row, winning in 2015.
“There have been very few players who can take over a baseball game,” former Royals general manager Dayton Moore told MLB.com. “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.”
That style of play enabled Gore to be part of two more World Series championship teams with the Dodgers and Braves. Through it all, Gore never forgot about the place and people that shaped him.
“Even after he was up in the major leagues, he still had time to talk to you. If you texted him and asked how he was doing, he would text back and let you know. If he was ever around, he would come by and see you. He would come out to Clifton Ridge and work with the kids on running bases, and he didn’t have to do that,” David said. “He just wanted to give back to where he came from. He never had that aura that he was too big for Gray.”
Added Veal, “We coached him hard, but I remember when he was either in high-A ball or AA, he called and said, ‘Coach, thank you for staying on me. It means a lot.”
