I made Kenny a drink at Starbucks, he seemed nervous to be there, probably not wanting to be recognized. I handed him his drink and said, "Thanks for the memories and don't worry, I won't tell anyone who you are until after you leave." He said, "Thanks man, I appreciate that." He winked and walked out.
He hit .299 which is damn near 300 but Kenny lofting should be a hall of famer ! It’s cuz he wasent a Homerun hitter but at the end of the day his defense was insane and his stolen bases speak for itself .. they gotta put him in the hof or this is bs
Agreed! Should be in HOF at some point. Very dominant & the last of the “true” lead off hitters. Nowadays they pencil anybody to lead off. One of my all time fav players growing up
As a Braves fan, Lofton struck fear in any defense when he got on base. Amazing sequence of plays. Bunt for a base hit, stolen base, and dash from 2nd on a passed ball. Beautiful.
You ain’t lying. In 95 I thought there was no way the Braves would beat the Indians. That team was stacked and Lofton was the tip of the spear. Him getting on base set the tone for that monster lineup. I literally got nervous when he’d get on. I absolutely loved it when he came to Atlanta, but it was never the same and he should have never been traded away from Cleveland.
One of the greatest hitters, base stealers, and outfielders of our time. I don't understand why he's not in the HOF. He played the game the way it was meant to be played. He gave it his all in every game. For example when they were one out from losing the playoffs. He ran and slid into first base, doing everything he could to get there. He got really hurt. I felt so sorry for him.
He played for Cleveland Indians... same with Omar Vizquel. If Lofton had played for the Dodgers, or Boston he'd of been a first ballot H.O.F. These people hate Cleveland period
@@mikeking3507 I want to like that comment 100x. you're damn right and it's an embarrassment to the sport that a guy who has a career .299 BA, 2428 hits, 622 SB and played 17 yrs isn't in the HOF
Man, just the name Kenny Lofton brings back memories and for some reason of the Ken Griffey jr baseball game. Baseball is in dire need of more Kenny Loftons. We need more basestealing! More bunt squeezes! More action! Not just another shallow basehit to left field. Homeruns are fun n all but damn it gets boring. I just miss the old days of baseball people.
You and me both, bro! That's why I don't really fuck with baseball, like that, anymore. I stopped watching, regularly, since like, since the mid-2000's. Anyhow, Kenny Lofton was my all-time favorite player. The only thing he DIDN'T do was hit home runs. He could definitely, do everything else.
Yes I agree back then teams had to work hard to get every run they could anyway they could I miss the old days too I missed the era of Kenny lofton Ken Griffey Jr Cal ripken Jr those were Legends
Not many players can say they got the better of the Big Unit... on multiple occasions no less. Growing up an Indians fan in the glory years of the 90s, Lofton was by far my favorite player. He made bunting look like an form of art, with a smooth and seamless motion that literally was unstoppable at times. He could hit to opposite field, steal bases, play centerfield with the best them. He was everything you could ever ask for in a leadoff hitter. He'll forever be loved in Cleveland and damn well needs to be in the HOF.
Yes he was a very big asset to the Indians in that era I can't tell you how many games they won because of him just his strategic base running and base hitting alone set the bar good job Kenny
I grew up in Cleveland, moved to Boston 30 years ago. My folks visited me in the '90's and we attended a Tribe-Sox game at Fenway. Somebody - I forget hit a BOMB to left centerfield which Kenny ran down and made a Willie Mays catch in the deepest corner of Fenway Park. I remember two things. My father, 65ish at that time, said that was the best catch he'd ever seen. The second - the Fenway crowd gave Kenny a huge standing ovation as the the Indians ran off the field. I've never seen anything like it. Thanks Sox fans, nice.
EDIT: found the catch on YT ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-z71mRBAIOgc.html 54:30 I think I know exactly the play you are referring to because it's etched in my mind. The player was Tom Brunansky and it had to be 1994 because as I recall it was his second tour of duty with the Red Sox. The ball was an absolute rocket as you say, a long but relatively low line drive with no hang time. It was just such a remarkable catch, because in almost all cases the outfielder will track a ball by running and glancing over his shoulder periodically to time it...however in this instance Lofton broke into a full sprint immediately at the crack of the bat, and with his numbers directly facing home plate like a track star running a 40-yard dash, he used all his speed to catch up and spear the ball like Superman catching a bullet. The catch was right by the 420 ft sign if I recall correctly. It was one of the most amazing athletic feats I've seen by a center fielder because of the combination of speed, reflexes, instincts, and coordination, with so little time to spare. I haven't seen a replay since.
Indians fan since '92, 1st baseball game ever Cleveland at Seattle and I look down and is my lucky number 7 Kenny Lofton... My all time favorite player to this day and there's no one even close... 1B, 3B, Bunts, Steals, HRs, amazing speed, and Gold Gloves... Amazing thank you Kenny for the memories!!!
Indians are my fav team all time. I’m a Padres, Dodgers, Giants, and A’s fan, but the Indians uniforms and players during this time were the coolest to me as a kid growing up. No team was close for me
I'm so sick that every HOF class discussion is about the steroid guys and not the viable candidates like Kenny. He was the top centerfielder/lead off hitter in the game for an extended period of time. Bill Mazeroski , Harold Baines? Who wouldn't take Kenny over those guys in a heartbeat?
i wish someone would sit Greg Allen down, and force him to watch hours of Kenny Lofton hitting - the way Lofton slapped that outside pitch to left field was awesome, he never tried to pull it, just smack it right down that 3rd base line.. and then the bunting - no one bunted for base hits better... i wish Allen could soak in some of that hitting mentality..
The Willie Mays Hays of the Indians I was at the game he made that crazy catch , ya know every Indians game I went to he was one of the only ones that signed for fans after the game He should 💯% be in the hall of fame He was one of my fav players
I love and respect how absolutely amazing Randy Johnson was as a HOF pitcher....but being a Cleveland fan I loved and respected even more how Lofton would drive Randy absolutely crazy while beating him lefty-on-lefty. Hell, just the scoring from second on the passed ball in the playoff game is enough for Kenny to be in the HOF.
My favorite ball player. This guy left cleat marks on the wall which were over my head at 5'7". That was my junior year in HS. When I tried climbing that wall, I could only get my wrist to the top.
2:12 imagine being that cop sitting in the bullpen and getting an up close and personal look at one of the most iconic moments in Cleveland baseball history.
I truly miss the Indians. Guardians will always be a bore. Thanks Dolan - done with baseball (and that breaks my heart as i was raised in that old stadium)
I was at that game where they were down by 12, I asked my friend if we could just leave and sadly, we did 👻⚾ heard the comeback begin on the car radio....he hates me now.
@Lighthouse in the Storm I would trade out Loften for Ichiro. They're the best 3 outfielders I have got to actually watch play the game. Kenny does get looked over and is on my all time roster. So is another outfielder most don't give credit. That's Jim Edmonds. If he was a better hitter he'd be starting over Mike T. Jim Edmonds is better than all three defensively in my opinion.
