Kenny Lofton

She refused to go on welfare, but did collect Social Security as a result of her husband's death in 1960 (of bronchial pneumonia).

When Lofton made the majors, he built a new home in East Chicago for his grandmother and other family members.

Lofton attended Washington High School in East Chicago and played on the school's baseball team as a pitcher and center fielder.

He was an all-state basketball player.

Lofton is the uncle of the actor Cirroc Lofton, who played Jake Sisko in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

Lofton accepted a scholarship from the University of Arizona to play college basketball for the Arizona Wildcats.

Kenneth Lofton (born May 31, 1967) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) center fielder.

The Wildcats made it to the Final Four in 1988.

He did not join the school's baseball team until his junior year.

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.

He played minor-league baseball during the summer while completing his basketball eligibility at Arizona.

The Astros organization asked Lofton to play minor-league baseball in the Florida Instructional League, but Lofton declined, citing a promise he had made to his grandmother to obtain his degree.

Lofton earned a degree in studio production at the University of Arizona while playing minor-league baseball for the Houston Astros.

He credits his post-MLB success, as owner of FilmPool, Inc., to that education.

Lofton is also a member of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity.

Lofton struggled early in his professional baseball career in the Astros' farm system.

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.

In 1994, he led the American League in hits, and in 1995 he led the majors in triples.

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.

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 3 lb 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."

Person had glaucoma, and because of her failing eyesight was unemployed.

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.