Terrance Gore, a speedy outfielder who played for three World Series champions while spending parts of eight seasons in the major leagues, has died. He was 34.
Chad Funderburk, a family friend who also worked with Gore through his baseball academy, confirmed Gore died Friday night. He deferred to Gore's family in terms of providing any further details.
While Gore was known for his athleticism, Funderburk said he was “a much kinder human.”
“Just a giving, giving man to so many youth. ... That's just who Terrance was,” Funderburk said.
Gore, a Georgia native, was selected by Kansas City in the 20th round of the 2011 amateur draft. He batted .216, scored 33 runs and swiped 43 bags in 52 attempts over 112 regular-season games with the Royals, Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets.
“Terrance was an unforgettable part of our organization with a unique talent that catapulted him to some of the biggest moments in Royals history,” Royals general manager J.J. Picollo said in a team statement. “While 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’s biggest stage.”
Gore was mostly used as a pinch runner and defensive replacement. He made his debut with the Royals in 2014 and stole 23 bases before he got his first hit, a single to center for the Cubs against Max Scherzer in the ninth inning of a 10-3 loss at Washington on Sept. 8, 2018.
Gore appeared in two postseason games during Kansas City's championship run in 2015. He played in two regular-season games when the Dodgers won the World Series in 2020. He appeared in one NL playoff game with Atlanta in 2021, and the Braves went on to win the World Series.
“Terrance brought a high level of excitement and anticipation to the game,” former Royals executive Dayton Moore said. "He was unstoppable as a base stealer, and he inspired athletes throughout our country to pursue baseball. He was loved and respected by his very special teammates, who will continue to love his family during this time of sadness.”
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FILE - Kansas City Royals' Terrance Gore holds out a baseball he autographed for a fan prior to a spring training exhibition baseball game against the Colorado Rockies, Sunday, March 15, 2015, in Scottsdale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ben Margot, File)
FILE - Kansas City Royals' Terrance Gore bats during the third inning of a baseball game Thursday, July 4, 2019, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File(
FILE - Kansas City Royals' Terrance Gore (0) celebrates in the dugout after scoring on a double by Alex Gordon during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers, Sunday, Sept. 21, 2014, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)
HUNTSVILLE, Texas (AP) — A Texas man was put to death Wednesday evening for fatally stabbing his girlfriend and her 8-year-old son in 2013, apologizing profusely to her older son who survived with multiple stab wounds and witnessed the execution.
Cedric Ricks, 51, was pronounced dead at 6:55 p.m. CDT following a lethal dose of the sedative pentobarbital at the state penitentiary in Huntsville.
He was condemned for the May 2013 killings of 30-year-old Roxann Sanchez and her son Anthony Figueroa at their apartment in the greater Dallas-Fort Worth suburb of Bedford. Sanchez’s 12-year-old son, Marcus Figueroa, was stabbed 25 times and feigned death in order to survive.
Ricks apologized repeatedly to seven relatives of his victims who looked on, particularly Marcus Figueroa. The attack survivor showed no emotion, watching through a glass window just steps from where Ricks was strapped to a gurney. On the back of Marcus Figueroa’s neck, visible above his shirt collar and below his hair, were several scars apparently from the attack.
“I want to say that I’m sorry for taking Roxann and Anthony from y’all,” Ricks said when asked by the warden if he had a final statement. “I’m glad to be able to speak to tell y'all that face to face.”
He said he hoped one day that his victims’ relatives would be able to find it in their hearts to forgive him. He also addressed Marcus Figueroa, saying he hated that he took his mother and brother away.
“I always thought about you and I’m sorry that I took your mom and your brother away. I hate that you had to experience that, I just can’t imagine, but I’m truly sorry for what I’ve done, and I wish y’all peace and joy as much as you can but I’m sorry, that’s all I can say," Ricks said. His voice cracking and tear forming in his eye, he added that he hoped to find the woman and her son in heaven and “tell them I'm sorry face to face.”
“I hope y’all go in peace. I really do. I’m sorry," he concluded before the injection began.
As the drug took effect, he took 19 quick breaths, then made 10 snoring sounds, followed seconds later by some intermittent gurgles. Then all movement and sounds stopped, and he was pronounced dead 30 minutes after the injection had begun.
Among the other witnesses were Roxann Sanchez’s stepfather and brother, and Anthony Figueroa’s father, brother and grandmother. None of them showed any emotion in the death chamber witness area and declined to speak with reporters afterward.
The night of the killings, prosecutors said, Ricks and Sanchez had been arguing in their apartment when the woman's two sons from a previous marriage tried to break up the fight. Ricks grabbed a knife from the kitchen and began to stab Sanchez multiple times, court records showed.
Marcus Figueroa ran to his bedroom closet and tried to call police. After killing Anthony Figueroa, Ricks began stabbing Marcus Figueroa, who played dead until his attacker left the apartment, authorities said. Ricks did not harm his own then-9-month-old son Isaiah, according to court records. Ricks fled and was later arrested in Oklahoma.
At his ensuing capital murder trial, Ricks testified that he had anger issues and had been defending himself against the two boys after they had come to their mother’s defense.
“Explaining my rage, I was upset. Things happen. I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t know. I wish I could bring them back, like, right now,” said Ricks, who also apologized at the time for the killings.
A day before the stabbings, Ricks had appeared in court after having been charged with assaulting Sanchez during a previous incident.
On Wednesday, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected Ricks' final appeal without comment. His attorneys had argued that prosecutors violated Ricks’ constitutional rights by eliminating potential jurors on the basis of race while selecting the trial panel.
The Texas Attorney General’s Office said court records show the prosecution’s jury selection decisions were “race neutral” and lower courts have already concluded that prosecutors’ actions were not discriminatory.
And earlier this week, the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles denied Ricks’ request to commute his death sentence or grant a 90-day reprieve.
Ricks was the second person put to death this year in Texas and the sixth in the country. Texas has historically held more executions than any other state.
Charles “Sonny” Burton, a 75-year-old inmate in Alabama, had been scheduled for execution Thursday. But Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey on Monday commuted his death sentence to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Burton had been condemned for a fatal shooting during a 1991 robbery at an auto parts store even though he didn’t pull the trigger.
Lozano reported from Houston. Follow Juan A. Lozano: https://x.com/juanlozano70
This undated photo provided by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice shows Texas death row inmate Cedric Ricks. (Texas Department of Criminal Justice via AP)
This undated photo provided by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice shows Texas death row inmate Cedric Ricks. (Texas Department of Criminal Justice via AP)
