Кеннет Лофтон: Американдық бейсбол жұлдызының өмірі мен мансабы

American baseball player
the former pro baseball and college basketball player

Kenneth Lofton (born May 31, 1967) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) center fielder. Lofton was a six time All Star (1994–1999), four time Gold Glove Award winner (1993–1996), and at retirement, was ranked 15th among all time stolen base leaders with 622. During his career, he played for the Houston Astros, Cleveland Indians, Atlanta Braves, Chicago White Sox, San Francisco Giants, Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago Cubs, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Texas Rangers. Lofton attended the University of Arizona on a basketball scholarship. The Wildcats made it to the Final Four in 1988. He did not join the school's baseball team until his junior year. Lofton made 11 postseason appearances, including World Series appearances in 1995 and 2002 with the Indians and Giants, respectively. From 2001 to 2007, Lofton did not spend more than one consecutive season with a team. For his career, the Indians were the only team he played with for longer than one season and the only franchise he played for more than once. Lofton played 9 1/2 seasons with the Indians, helping the organization win six division titles. In 2010, he was inducted into the Cleveland Indians Hall of Fame. During his professional baseball career, Lofton's single season stolen base count led the American League (AL) on five occasions and all of Major League Baseball (MLB) three times. In 1994, he led the American League in hits, and in 1995 he led the majors in triples. Lofton holds the all time postseason stolen base record with 34, having broken Rickey Henderson's record in 2007. Of his base running, Frank White said, "Lofton has out thought a lot of major league players" and later, "a smart, complete baseball player."

Lofton was raised by his widowed grandmother, Rosie Person, in East Chicago, Indiana. His mother, Annie, had Lofton while she was in high school; he weighed just at birth. His mother moved to Alabama after she graduated and lost contact with Lofton during his childhood. Of his father, Lofton said, "We, as a family, don't even talk about it."

Lofton accepted a scholarship from the University of Arizona to play college basketball for the Arizona Wildcats. For the Wildcats, Lofton was the backup point guard (to Craig McMillan and Steve Kerr) on a team that made it to the Final Four of the 1988 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. He was the starting point guard the following year when the Wildcats made it to the Sweet Sixteen. Lofton is one of only two men to play in a college basketball Final Four (1988) and an MLB World Series. (The other is fellow East Chicago Washington High School alumnus Tim Stoddard.) He left as the Wildcats' leader in career steals (a record eventually broken). "In strength and agility drills, he just killed it. He's a guy who could have played pro football or basketball or baseball," said former Wildcats teammate Bruce Fraser. Lofton decided to try out for the Arizona Wildcats baseball team during his junior year. He played in just five baseball games and recorded only one official at bat while at Arizona, but his speed and potential were recognized by baseball scouts, including the Houston Astros' Clark Crist. The Astros later selected Lofton in the 17th round of the 1988 MLB draft.

Lofton struggled early in his professional baseball career in the Astros' farm system. He hit .214 in 48 games as an outfielder for the Auburn Astros of the New York–Penn League, but recorded 26 stolen bases in 30 attempts. Lofton returned to Auburn in 1989 and hit .263 with 26 steals in 34 games. He hit .308 with 30 steals and 52 walks for Tucson with 19 doubles and a team high 17 triples. The Toros won the PCL championship and Lofton made the league's All Star team. On September 14, 1991, the Astros promoted Lofton to the majors.

In his major league debut with the Houston Astros on September 14, 1991, he went 3 for 4 with a double and scored three runs against the Cincinnati Reds. He hit .203 in 20 games for the remainder of the Astros' regular season. With Steve Finley already entrenched as Houston's centerfielder, Lofton was traded during the off season to the Cleveland Indians for catcher Eddie Taubensee and right handed pitcher Willie Blair. Indians first base coach Dave Nelson helped Lofton refine his baserunning technique and helped him learn how to be successful with bunting. Lofton finished second (to the Milwaukee Brewers' Pat Listach) in AL Rookie of the Year balloting. After one season with Cleveland, Lofton agreed to a four year, $6.3 million contract. The following season, Lofton broke his own Cleveland single season stolen bases record, recording 70 (which led MLB). Indians general manager John Hart said of Lofton, "What a representative for our team and our city. He has the opportunity to be a George Brett type player here, someone who is synonymous with a franchise." In 1995, Lofton was one of six Cleveland starters who batted .300 or higher (.310). He also had an MLB best 13 triples. His 54 stolen bases led the AL for the third consecutive season. It was described by The New York Times as "the run that demoralized the Mariners." Fifteen years after Lofton's crossing of home plate, the Plain Dealer recalled: "Of all the electrifying moments on the Kenny Lofton highlight reel, none captures the essence of the player any better than his 180 foot dash to glory on October 17, 1995." In 2010, a few years into his retirement, Lofton stated he felt it was the toughest postseason loss of his 11 career playoff appearances, namely because he felt the umpires had favorable strike zones for Braves pitchers Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux. The following season in 1996, the Indians again had the best record in baseball (99–62) and Lofton's stolen base total (75) led MLB for the second time in four years. He hit .317 and had a career high 67 RBIs. As an impending free agent, it was Lofton's last season with Cleveland before being traded near the end of spring training 1997 to the Atlanta Braves of the National League (NL). On trading Lofton, Hart said, "We had to make this trade based on the fact that Lofton could be a free agent at the end of this season. We went through it with Albert Belle last year, and Albert left and we had nothing in return. We were not prepared to do that again." Lofton, described as "an emotional and offensive catalyst" with the Indians, appeared in three consecutive All Star games (1994–1996) and won four straight Gold Glove Awards (1993–1996) with the Indians. He led the AL in stolen bases for five straight seasons (1992–1996) and set the single season Indians' franchise stolen base record (75).

The Atlanta Braves' Marquis Grissom and slugger David Justice were part of a Braves roster that, heading into the 1997 season, was MLB's highest paid. Grissom ($4.8 million annual salary) and Justice ($6 million) were traded to the Indians in return for Lofton ($4.75 million) and Alan Embree ($206,000). "This is a trade of enormous magnitude for two very, very good franchises. We're talking about franchise type players", Hart said. For Lofton, considered "the centerpiece of the Indians' 1990s revival", it was a return to the National League. "The trade will be in the back of my mind for a long time, but it's baseball. It happens to nearly everybody. I'm [in Atlanta] to play every day. It's all Braves from now on", Lofton said. By April 19, the Braves were 13–3 and Lofton's hitting (.453 batting average) had won favor with his new Braves teammates. "If he keeps hitting .400 he'll fit in just fine", said Chipper Jones. For the season, Lofton's .333 batting average and 27 stolen bases were team highs (his stolen base total was to that point a career low). He was caught stealing 20 times, an MLB high. The Braves swept the Houston Astros in the 1997 National League Division Series (NLDS), three games to none. In the 1997 National League Championship Series (NLCS), the Braves lost to the Florida Marlins, four games to two (the Marlins later defeated the Cleveland Indians in the World Series). For the NLCS, Lofton batted .185 and was one of three Braves' hitters who recorded seven strikeouts in the series. For Lofton, who was eligible for free agency at the end of the season, it was his only season with the Braves.

Lofton, who was considered the "most sought after free agent" following the 1997 season, returned to the AL and Cleveland Indians when he signed a three year, $24 million contract. Happy to return to Cleveland, Lofton said, "It's like I was a ghost for a year. But now I'm back." Lofton's .282 batting average was to that point the lowest of his MLB career, but his 87 walks were a career high. However, he had 64 RBIs, his second highest RBI total, which had been 66 at that point in his career and doubled his stolen base count with 54 from the previous year's total of 27. The Indians lost the 1998 ALCS in six games to the New York Yankees, who had won 114 games in the regular season. Lofton tied for third most number of hits and strikeouts and his 27 at bats led the Indians. The Indians had led in the series two games to none before losing three games in a row and the series. Lofton and Roberto Alomar each had two stolen bases in the series, but Lofton recorded just two hits in 16 at bats. In Game 5, Lofton dislocated his left shoulder and tore his rotator cuff while diving into first base. On September 3, 2000, in a 12–11 win over the Baltimore Orioles, Lofton tied an MLB record previously held by Red Rolfe when he scored in 18 consecutive games. He tied an Indians' franchise single game record with five stolen bases and won the game with a 13th inning walk off home run. After missing the postseason in 2000, the Indians returned in 2001 after winning the AL Central with a 91–71 regular season record. Before winning the division, however, Lofton scored the game winning run during an August 5 game against the Seattle Mariners; the Indians were down by 12 runs, and became just the third team in MLB history to overcome such a deficit, winning 15–14 in 11 innings. Indians catcher Eddie Taubensee, who was involved in the trade which sent Lofton from Houston to Cleveland at the beginning of his MLB career, caught Lofton after he slid into home plate and jumped with excitement after discovering he had just scored the game winning run. "I caught him and wasn't going to let him go", Taubensee said. He hit 66 RBIs on the regular season (second most in his career), but failed to record 20 stolen bases for the first time in his major league career and batted a career low .261. His second stint with Cleveland lasted through 2001, in which his salary was for $8 million in his final contract year with the club. He became a free agent at the conclusion of the season.

A free agent in 2002, Lofton signed a one year, $1.025 million contract with the Chicago White Sox. "You can't say enough about him, his effort, his intensity. He's been simply amazing", said White Sox manager Jerry Manuel. Lofton hit a first pitch single to the outfield, scoring David Bell from second base and creating a 2–1 Giants victory. After the game, Baker remarked, "I just knew Kenny was focused and I know you can't keep Kenny down for too long. That's why we got Kenny over here. He's a big game player and he's been great in the playoffs." With the Pirates, he hit .277 and stole 18 bases in 84 games before being traded to the Chicago Cubs, where he was reunited with manager Dusty Baker. When Lofton joined the Cubs in July, he was joining a team that just one season before had lost 95 games. "With Kenny Lofton, we got a quality lead off man", said Cubs general manager Jim Hendry. In 56 regular season appearances with the Cubs, Lofton stole 12 bases and hit .327. The Cubs' postseason berth was just the sixth time since the divisional series format was introduced (1969) that a team made the postseason after having lost 95 games or more the previous season. Chicago beat the Atlanta Braves three games to two in the 2003 NLDS. Lofton hit .286 in the series and led the Cubs with three stolen bases and 21 at bats. The Cubs, who were up in the series three games to one, held a three run lead in the eighth inning of game six of the 2003 NLCS. The Florida Marlins scored eight unanswered runs, all in the eighth inning, to win game six and won game seven the following night to eliminate the Cubs. Lofton's .323 against the Marlins led the Cubs' starting line up, as did his 31 at bats, and he had the team's only stolen base of the seven game series. During a Yankees' road game at Cleveland, Lofton recorded his 2,000th career hit. After Lofton's single, Indians fans began an ovation in honor of Lofton. "I didn't know what to expect. I figured I'd get a few claps. It was touching. I tipped my hat, but they just kept going. If there was a storybook way for me to get it, to get it in Cleveland, it was something to remember." New York finished the regular season with an AL best record, 101–61. To begin the postseason, the Yankees defeated the Minnesota Twins, three games to one, in the 2004 ALDS. In the 2004 ALCS against the Boston Red Sox, the Yankees had built a 2–0 series lead when Lofton stated, "My ultimate goal is for me to try to win a championship. I'm at a point in my career – I've been here for 13 years, and gotten close. This is an opportunity for me to have a chance at it again." Then the Yankees went up in the series three games to none before becoming the first team in MLB history to lose a series after holding a 3–0 series lead. Lofton, who appeared in 83 games with the Yankees, felt manager Joe Torre did not use his skills appropriately. Lofton finished the regular season with a .275 batting average and a career low seven stolen bases. With the Yankees looking to reshape their roster and the Philadelphia Phillies looking for a player with postseason experience, Lofton was dealt on December 3, 2004, which as part of the deal also had the Yankees sending $1.525 million to Philadelphia and the Phillies giving up reliever Felix Rodríguez. After the trade, Lofton stated, "It's been very tough. I'm the kind of guy who likes to be settled down. It's been very tough the last three or four years. Everyone in New York understood I wanted to play. I just wanted an opportunity to perform and be a part of the team. I didn't feel as much of a part of the team." He also recorded 22 stolen bases. Toward the end of his career, Lofton was featured in a DHL Express TV commercial, where the international shipper comically portrayed Lofton's frequent city changes and subsequent moves. On December 12, 2006, the Texas Rangers signed Lofton to a one year contract. In 84 games with the Rangers, he hit .303 with 16 doubles. On July 27, 2007, Lofton was traded by the Rangers to the Indians in exchange for minor league catcher Max Ramírez. "That's my biggest thing right now. I'm trying to get a World Series ring," Lofton said on joining the Indians for the third time in his career. The Jacobs Field crowd greeted Lofton with a standing ovation during his first at bat for this tour of duty with the Indians. Lofton noted, "I missed being in Cleveland I enjoy Cleveland. It's the city that got me going." In game one of the 2007 ALDS against the Yankees, he went 3 for 4 with four RBIs and one stolen base, which tied him with Rickey Henderson for MLB's all time postseason stolen bases record (33). In game two, he went 2 for 3 with two walks and scored the winning run in the 11th inning. Then, in Game Three of the 2007 ALCS, the 40 year old Lofton hit a two run home run against the Boston Red Sox' Daisuke Matsuzaka, becoming the seventh oldest player to hit a postseason home run. Lofton earned his 34th career postseason stolen base in game four of the 2007 ALCS, setting a new MLB record for playoff steals. The Indians, who at one point had a 3–1 game lead over the Red Sox, eventually lost the series. In Game Seven, Lofton was called out while attempting to steal second base, but the replay showed that he was safe. He was also held up at third base while attempting to tie the game, in a call that was criticized by Cleveland fans for years. Lofton became a free agent at the end of the season, but did not sign a contract with an MLB team. He expressed interest in playing before the 2009 season. From 2002 to 2007, Lofton played for eight teams and made it to the postseason with four of them. Joe Torre said, after Lofton had been to the playoffs in 11 of the past 13 seasons and played for 11 clubs in his career, "He bounced around a lot of clubs for a reason: They felt he could help them. He did a hell of a job." Lofton had tallied a .299 career batting average with 130 home runs, 116 triples, and 1,528 runs in 2,103 games. Lofton played in 95 postseason games. In the playoffs for his career, he hit .247 with seven home runs and 34 RBI. On January 27, 2010, Lofton was announced as being selected as a member of the Cleveland Indians Hall of Fame. He was inducted on August 7. Lofton was eligible for the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2013 and some have written his career numbers "will likely put him in the conversation of being Hall of Fame worthy". He did not receive the necessary number of votes to remain on the ballot for 2014 and beyond. In 2015, Pedro Martínez, one of the most dominant pitchers of Lofton's era, named Lofton as among the most difficult hitters to pitch against in his career. Lofton falling off the BBWAA ballot after one year despite his career stats, accolades, and relatively clean reputation during the steroid era has often been considered by baseball fans as one of the most egregious Hall of Fame exclusions in history, and has been used as an example of criticism towards the election process.

Lofton has his own television production company, FilmPool, Inc. In 1997, he appeared as a guest star on The Wayans Bros., and in 2004, he appeared as a guest star on George Lopez. Lofton co wrote the song "What If" on Ruben Studdard's 2006 album Soulful. In 2008, Lofton qualified for the American Century Celebrity Golf Classic. He played golf in the off season during his playing days. For the 2011 spring training season, Lofton was hired by the Indians to coach baserunning and outfield work. He also served as a commentator on the Fox Sports West postgame show for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Lofton considers himself a perfectionist. "I love cleaning. I clean up, wash dishes, and make a good bed. I'm pretty neat. I'm a perfectionist. People come to my house and they're like, 'Man, do you actually live here?'" In August 2022, Lofton was sued by a former employee of Lofton's investment company who claimed that he was fired by Lofton for complaining that Lofton had sent sexually explicit photos of himself to women in the company. The former employee alleged that he was fired in retaliation for complaining about the photos to the company's in house attorney, and the former employee also claimed that he was not paid for his work.