MLB season debut 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 with
Dave Rohde 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-base 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. Near the end of spring training in 1997, Lofton was traded to the
Atlanta Braves. 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).
Atlanta Braves 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. From April 8 to April 19, Lofton got 29 hits, placing him second all-time for most hits across 10 games. 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, most in the MLB that year. 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.
Return to Cleveland 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." In 1998, Lofton's batting average dropped to .282, but his 87 walks were a career high, and his 54 stolen bases were double his previous year's 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 that 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.
World Series ring pursuit 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-base 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 statistics, 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. ==Post-playing career==