| Kenny Lofton | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) Lofton in 2019 | |
| Center fielder | |
| Born: May 31, 1967 East Chicago, Indiana, U.S. | |
Batted: Left Threw: Left | |
| MLB debut | |
| September 14, 1991, for the Houston Astros | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 29, 2007, for the Cleveland Indians | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .299 |
| Hits | 2,428 |
| Home runs | 130 |
| Runs batted in | 781 |
| Stolen bases | 622 |
| Stats at Baseball Reference | |
| Teams | |
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| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
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.[1][2] 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."[3]
- ^ "Career Leaders for Stolen Bases". Baseballalmanac.com. Archived from the original on November 9, 2020. Retrieved October 29, 2012.
- ^ "Kenny Lofton sets postseason record for stolen bases". ESPN.com. Associated Press. October 17, 2007.
- ^ White, Frank; Fulks, Matt (2004). Good as Gold: Techniques for Fundamental Baseball. Champaign, Illinois: Sports Publishing. p. 149. ISBN 1-58261-741-4. Archived from the original on November 7, 2021. Retrieved November 4, 2012.