Lofton will be inducted into the Indians Hall of Fame on Saturday in part because of his ability to impact games with speed and daring.
View full sizeFormer Indians center fielder Kenny Lofton will be inducted into the Indians Hall of Fame on Saturday. CLEVELAND, Ohio — 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 Oct. 17, 1995.
It happened in the eighth inning of Game 6 of the American League Championship Series between the Indians and Seattle Mariners at the Kingdome. With the Indians leading, 1-0, and Ruben Amaro on third, Lofton beat out a bunt against Randy Johnson. Lofton stole second. Moments later, Big Unit's pitch got away from catcher Dan Wilson and rolled toward the Tribe dugout on the first-base side.
Amaro, as expected, scored easily on the passed ball. The shocker -- to everyone except the man himself -- was that Lofton hit third base and kept on running. In a blur, Lofton slid in safely, catching Wilson and Johnson sulking/napping. The Indians went on to win the game, 4-0, and the series, 4-2, to advance to their first World Series in 41 years.
"My instincts made that play happen," Lofton said by phone earlier this week. "Once I took off, I knew I had the speed to take me where I needed to go."
Lofton will be inducted into the Indians Hall of Fame on Saturday in part because of his ability to impact games with such speed and daring. He also knew how to swing the bat and catch the ball. Everything was on display against the Baltimore Orioles on Sept. 3, 2000, when Lofton went 4-for-7 with a homer, walk, four runs and five steals in a 12-11 victory in 13 innings at Jacobs Field.
Lofton played for 11 teams in a major-league career that spanned from 1991 through 2007, but he always will be known as an Indian. He had three stints with Cleveland (1992-1996; 1998-2001; 2007) and remains the franchise leader with 452 steals and ranks third with 975 runs. Five of his six All-Star selections and all four of his Gold Gloves came with the Indians.
Lofton retired as a .299 hitter in 2,103 regular-season games overall. He had 2,428 hits, 1,528 runs and 622 steals. He played in 95 postseason games, including 50 with the Tribe, and scored 65 runs.
With the Indians Hall of Fame induction around the corner, Lofton reflected on his career:
Plain Dealer: When you think of yourself as a Cleveland Indian, what is the first thing that comes to mind?
Kenny Lofton: Stolen bases. In Cleveland, I think people look at me as the guy who stole bases.
PD: Highlight of your career?
KL: Having been able to play on a lot of teams that made the playoffs. Having had a lot of opportunities to win a ring.
PD: You played in 20 postseason series in 11 years. Does one postseason stand out above the rest?
KL: The first one, with the Indians in 1995. That will stick out forever, because we were able to go to the World Series in Cleveland for the first time since 1954.
PD: Should the Indians have won the 1995 World Series against the Braves, or did they simply get beat by a better, more seasoned team?
KL: Honestly, I believe we played well enough to win. We put our hearts out there. But to be honest, with the teams and the situations what they were, I don't think we got a fair shot.
PD: Explain.
KL: In my opinion, we didn't get a fair shot from the umpires. The [Tom] Glavine and [Greg] Maddux strike zones were not right. They were getting the calls off the plate and our pitchers weren't. I'm not the only one who says that. You had to deal with it, though. You had no other choice.
PD: Your favorite Indians club?
KL: The '95 team, because of the personalities we had. We did a lot of freelancing. It was awesome.
PD: And you set the tone.
KL: The guys called me the igniter. Once I ignited the flames, everything took off. It was an exciting time.
PD: Which postseason ending in your career stings the most?
KL: The toughest to take is '95 because, as I said, I don't think the umpires were fair. Second is the Giants in 2002 because we were up, 3-2, in the World Series and had a five-run lead in Game 6 but lost to the Angels. We just lost.
PD: You also were on the Cubs when they fell to the Marlins in the infamous 2003 NLCS, during which fan Steve Bartman reached out and seemingly denied Moises Alou a catch late in Game 6.
KL: I've never viewed the Bartman situation as more than what it was -- a fan reached out and didn't get the ball. Those things happen. But the play soon after that, when Alex Gonzalez booted the double-play ball . . . that was the deciding factor. Everyone put it on Bartman, but I saw the double-play ball that didn't happen. Regardless, we still had Game 7. We didn't get it done.
PD: Do you believe in the Curse of Colavito (Indians) or Curse of the Billy Goat (Cubs)?
KL: No. If you put the right team on the field and play the way you should play, there's no curse. Look at Boston in 2004. Everybody said there was a curse, but they had the right team to win it all that year -- and they did. Bottom line: It's what you do on the field.
PD: You were a teammate of Barry Bonds in 2002. How do you view him? Is he a Hall of Famer?
KL: (Long pause) I'll say it this way: With Barry Bonds, for me, you have to be innocent until proven guilty in the Hall of Fame situation. So that's a tough one, because you have to show me some type of proof. I know there are allegations, but there's no proof. So, if the allegations had not come up -- for sure, he's a Hall of Famer. But because the allegations came up, and there's a lot of doubt, it makes it very tricky to say he's a Hall of Famer.
PD: Do you believe Barry Bonds used PEDs [performance-enhancing drugs]?
KL: That's not for me to say. I won't say I believe anything about that, because it's my own personal answer or thought in my head.
PD: Is Alex Rodriguez a Hall of Famer?
KL: I would not vote for him for the Hall of Fame. He cheated the game, he admitted it, and the game acts like nothing happened. It's as if he got a slap on the wrist. There's something wrong with that.
PD: How much baseball do you watch these days?
KL: Not a lot, but more this year than at any point since I retired. I love the game, but I'll be honest with you: I'm upset with the game. I'm upset because I was put out of the game because I wasn't cheating the game, if that makes sense.
PD: It does.
KL: I could have cheated and put up better numbers. Then I could have cheated to stay in the game. But I didn't. I was clean and played by the rules. And I know there are people who cheated, cheated to extend their careers, and it's not right.
PD: So it's safe to say that you, as a clean player, are upset you were forced to compete periodically on an uneven playing field?
KL: Do I have a problem with it? Without a doubt. I have a huge problem with it. It sticks with me to this day, knowing that people were cheating and knowing I was playing against them, with them, whatever. What really ticks me off is that baseball could have done something about it but didn't.
PD: Please elaborate.
KL: It comes back to the emphasis on home runs, when they came out with the commercial campaign of 'Chicks Dig The Long Ball.' Baseball wanted guys to hit homers because it was good for business. Why do you think certain guys started hitting so many home runs?
PD: As a result, your contributions get overshadowed.
KL: When everybody started talking about the long ball, they forgot about the speed, which was my game. It took my impact from close to the top to middle/bottom. Once they emphasized the long ball, I was looked at as a totally different player.
PD: Word association -- '95 Indians?
KL: Outstanding.
PD: Albert Belle?
KL: Intense.
PD: Carlos Baerga?
KL: Had fun playing the game.
PD: Sandy Alomar Jr.?
KL: Very focused.
PD: Mike Hargrove?
KL: (Chuckle) He had a tough job.
PD: Manny Ramirez?
KL: Great hitter.
PD: Jim Thome?
KL: Very strong.
PD: Joel Skinner?
KL: Very technical.
PD: I thought you would say of Skins: 'Never should have held me at third in Game 7 of 2007 ALCS.'
KL: (Chuckle) I can't hold that against him. He was the one who held me up, but I can't blame him, per se. He needed to make a decision; he just made the wrong decision. It's like when a pitcher should have thrown the fastball but throws a curve and the guy hits a homer. It's not about blame.
PD: How did Pat Listach beat you out for AL Rookie of the Year in 1992?
KL: To this day, I don't know how. I'm still trying to figure that out. But it worked out in the end for me. No disrespect to Pat Listach, but if you would have told me that I'd get Rookie of the Year and have my career end like his, I would have said, 'I don't want Rookie of the Year. You can have it.'
PD: On Aug. 4, 1996, you made what many consider the greatest catch in Jacobs/Progressive Field history, scaling an 8-foot wall in center to bring back a potential two-run homer by B.J. Surhoff of the Orioles. Did you amaze even yourself on that one?
KL: I don't know how I did it, but it happened. I don't think people understand the difficulty involved. It was one of the best catches I made and one of the best I've seen on film.
PD: Any regrets about your career?
KL: Not winning the World Series. I wanted it badly, but it didn't happen. My career still was a lot of fun.
PD: Best player you ever played with?
KL: That's where it gets tough. Performance enhancing is what makes it tough for me to make that call.
PD: What made you the player you were?
KL: Focus, determination, love of the game.
PD: You seemed to play with a chip on your shoulder, as if you had something to prove. Is that accurate?
KL: I'm not sure I wanted to prove the doubters wrong as much as I wanted to let people know that, 'Hey, I'm an athlete, I can play this game.'
PD: How do you want to be remembered as a player?
KL: As a guy who played the game right, played it fair. As a guy who loved the game and respected it.