since the 1954 season. "I'm glad for the city of Cleveland to be able to experience this, because they haven't experienced this for a long time. The city of Cleveland has grown a lot, and it's improving, and we tried to do this for the city", Lofton said. The Indians lost the World Series to the Braves in six games despite finishing the regular season with a major league-best 100–44 record in the strike-shortened year. Lofton finished with a .200 batting average and six stolen bases in his first World Series appearance. In 2010, a few years into his retirement, Lofton stated he felt it was the toughest postseason loss of his 11 career playoff appearances, namely because he felt the umpires had favorable strike zones for Braves pitchers Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux. The following season in 1996, the Indians again had the best record in baseball (99–62) and Lofton's stolen base total (75) led the MLB for the second time in four years. He hit .317 and had a career-high 67 RBIs. The Indians lost in the 1996 ALDS to the Baltimore Orioles in four games. As an impending free agent, it was Lofton's last season with Cleveland before being traded near the end of spring training 1997 to the Atlanta Braves of the National League (NL). On trading Lofton, Hart said, "We had to make this trade based on the fact that Lofton could be a free agent at the end of this season. We went through it with Albert Belle last year, and Albert left and we had nothing in return. We were not prepared to do that again." Lofton, described as "an emotional and offensive catalyst" with the Indians, appeared in three consecutive All-Star games (1994–1996) and won four straight Gold Glove Awards (1993–1996) with the Indians. He led the AL in stolen bases for five straight seasons (1992–1996) and set the single-season Indians' franchise stolen base record (75). Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves' Marquis Grissom and slugger David Justice were part of a Braves roster that, heading into the 1997 season, was the MLB's highest-paid. Grissom ($4.8 million annual salary) and Justice ($6 million) were traded to the Indians in return for Lofton ($4.75 million) and Alan Embree ($206,000). "This is a trade of enormous magnitude for two very, very good franchises. We're talking about franchise-type players", Hart said. For Lofton, considered "the centerpiece