I do like a dedicated role because it highlights the many ways the game of baseball is affected. The Dodgers have had a few examples over the years.
Andre Jackson appeared in 14 games in three seasons with Los Angeles, recording three or more saves in four of those games. “I didn’t even know a three-inning save was a thing until I got the first inning,” he said after his third save of 2023. “I don’t know the rules behind this.”
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Justin Dean never hit in the 2025 postseason, but he played in 13 of the Dodgers’ 17 games, serving as a safety blanket for the defense in center field late in games.
“The game is still a game. So I’m going to do my defensive work. That’s always going to be part of my game, my routine, part of my defense. I look at the field and try to see what I can learn, as far as stolen bases, if I’m going to run in or whatever,” Dean said last October. “So, in terms of my day-to-day life, it’s probably a little too focused, but I’m still playing, working in the cage and stuff like that. So it’s still a normal day.”
No baseball player in recent memory was more professional than Terrance Gore, the speedy outfielder who died this weekend at age 34.
Gore played a total of 123 games over eight major league seasons for five teams (Royals, Cubs, Dodgers, Braves and Mets) between the regular season and postseason. He made the playoffs with all five teams and won rings with the Royals, Dodgers and Braves. In 123 career games, Gore hit a total of 87 times, but stole 48 bases in 58 attempts, with a success rate of 82.8%.
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During the Dodgers’ shortened 2020 season, Gore appeared in two games during the regular season and completed one defensive inning in center field, but after being assigned assignment, he spent two months at the club’s alternate training site in preparation for the postseason. Gore was active in the Wild Card Game and the National League Division Series, but did not play in any of those five games. He didn’t steal Los Angeles’ bases.
This is the case for players with specific skills. You don’t always know if or when you’ll need them, but it feels good to have them around, just in case.
Andy McCullough, who covered the Royals when Gore was playing for Kansas City, wrote a fitting tribute to the outfielder in The Athletic on Saturday:
From the day he entered professional baseball, Gore understood that his utility as a player might be limited. He decided to make the most of it. He embraced his role as a part-time performer, a player who played for a playoff team just so he could run backup. He was dynamic, first as the Royals’ younger brother and later as a journeyman, jumping from contender to contender in search of a base to steal from.
Players like Gore are the reason I enjoy writing season reviews for every player who spends at least part of the year on the 40-man roster, regardless of their performance. It’s fun to remember that they were around and, in a way, keep their memory alive.
