Early Life
Lofton was raised by his widowed grandmother, Rosie Persons, in "the slums" of East Chicago, Indiana. His mother, Annie, had Lofton while she was in high school and he weighed just three pounds (1.4 kg) at birth. His mother moved to Alabama after she graduated from high school and kept in contact with Lofton. Of his father, Lofton said, "We, as a family, don't even talk about it." Persons had glaucoma and because of her failing eye sight was unemployed. She refused to go on welfare but did collect Social Security as a result from 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.
Read more about this topic: Kenny Lofton
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