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All The Smoke

Kenny Lofton Breaks Down Hall of Fame SNUB, 90's Indians UNTOLD STORIES, Arizona Hoops

All The Smoke

The Black Effect Podcast Network and iHeartPodcasts

Sports, Society & Culture, Basketball

4.77.6K Ratings

🗓️ 1 April 2026

⏱️ 95 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

The legendary Kenny Lofton joins Matt Barnes and Chris Young for a long overdue conversation. K-Lo was a six-time All-Star, five-time stolen base champion and four-time Gold Glove winner — but somehow was one-and-done on the Hall of Fame ballot.

Lofton breaks down why he believes the home run era buried his legacy and what it was really like playing on the greatest teams never to win a World Series. He also opens up about growing up poor in East Chicago, being raised by his blind grandmother, and the promise he made her before leaving for the University of Arizona — where he played point guard on a Final Four team.

Plus, Lofton gets into some amazing untold stories, like almost taking out Cal Ripken during his consecutive games streak, chasing Sammy Sosa through the Cubs dugout during the playoffs, getting held up by the third base coach in Game 7 of the 2007 ALCS, and why he believes Shohei Ohtani should never bat leadoff.

00:00 Intro, Hall of Fame Snub, Steroid Era

08:30: Ichiro Stats Comparison 

16:55: Slow Death of the Leadoff Hitter, Should Ohtani Bat Leadoff?

22:50: Raised in East Chicago by Blind Grandmother

28:25: Playing Basketball at University of Arizona under Lute Olsen

39:05: Foot Locker Slam Dunk Contest

44:13: Taking only one at-bat at Arizona, Getting Drafted to MLB 

55:30: Superpower of the bunt

58:18: First MLB memories with Astros 

01:00:46: Traded to Cleveland Indians, Albert Belle, Eddie Murray

01:03:53: 90’s Indians Best Team to Never win it?

01:05:48: Shocking Trade to Braves for David Justice

01:10:58: Golden Era of Outfielders

01:13:13: Journeyman back half of career

01:14:45: Bartman game, almost fighting Sammy Sosa

01:20:00: Signature Shoe with Nike

01:21:00: 3-0 Blown ALCS with Yankees

01:23:45: Held at 3rd Base in Game 7 of ALCS

01:31:28: Quick Hitters

01:35:50: End

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcript

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0:00.0

This is an I-Heart podcast.

0:02.6

Guaranteed Human.

0:04.3

Welcome back to All the Smoke Dugout here with my co-host, C.Y. Good to see you, man. Appreciate you having me. Flight good. It was good. Nice and easy. Man, today we have a legend. Someone I've actually been chasing him. I've been chasing him down for him. And, you know, he's still fast. He's a little older, but he's still fast.

0:21.1

One of the best athletes in MLB history should be I've been chasing him down for him. And, you know, he's still fast. He's a little older, but he's still fast.

0:25.6

One of the best athletes in MLB history should be a Hall of Famer.

0:37.4

We're going to get into that. One of the greatest leadoff hitters in Major League Baseball history. Also played a little bit of hoop. We're going to get into that. True icon, six-time All-Star, five-time bass chant, four-time gold glove winner.

0:39.3

Welcome to the show, Kenny Lofton.

0:40.0

Thank you, bro.

0:40.6

Thank you, bro.

0:41.2

Welcome, man.

0:37.5

Welcome, man. Six-time All-Star five-time Bass Chant, four-time Gold Glob winner. Welcome to the show, Kenny Lofton.

0:39.5

Thank you, bro.

0:40.7

Welcome, man.

0:41.3

Welcome to me.

0:42.2

Kenny, Kenny.

0:42.9

Kenny.

0:42.9

Yeah, yeah.

0:44.1

See, why?

0:44.5

What's this man mean to the game?

0:46.3

Oh, man.

0:47.0

When I think of 90s, that's, when you think about the era of your sport, you think about

0:52.1

when you were a kid growing up and when you're picking your

...

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