Although Brian Rafalski did not enter the National Hockey League until he was 26, he still managed to achieve a 500-point career, which is a very respectable total for a defenseman. He spent most of his career with the New Jersey Devils, where his powerful shot and defensive skills were an excellent fit for their style of play. After netting two Stanley Cup Rings, he went to Detroit and landed his third ring. Rafalski likely won’t end up in the Hall of Fame in Toronto, but he earned his place in the United States Hockey Hall of Fame for his overall work in the sport.

Many who first think of Jim Edmonds and the Hall of Fame may think automatically of what we wrote about Moises Alou and that he is likely a candidate for the “Hall of Very Good”. However, the more we really thought about it, the more we liked “Jimmy Baseball’s” resume.

Although Edmonds is under 2,000 for career hits and his four All-Star appearances are relatively low for a potential Hall of Fame Baseball inductee, he brought a very respectable 393 Home Runs and 1,199 RBIs, and a very good career OPS of .903.   Edmonds was more than a hitter; he won the Gold Glove eight times, and with a very good career WAR of 60.3, Jim Edmonds has a list of accomplishments that might make him a dark horse for the Hall of Fame. We will be watching this one intensely.

A Power Forward/Center with excellent defensive prowess, Clifford Robinson played in what seemed like a ton of games in the National Basketball Association. Robinson was never a player who was ever considered the best on any of his teams, but was a baller who instantly made a team better on both ends of the court. He had his best years in Portland and was rewarded with the Sixth Man of the Year Award. He did accumulate a lot of solid statistics, but is not likely to enter the Hall anytime soon.

Probably better known for his antics off the court (choking a coach and his complete inability to manage his finances), Latrell Sprewell was a very good basketball player in his prime. A very good two way player, the Shooting Guard constantly improved during his tenure in Golden State, which was until the famed incident with P.J. Carlesimo. He did rebound in New York and made his fourth All Star game, but degenerated upon arriving to Milwaukee and returned to being a pariah to the fans. Had Latrell Sprewell ever lived up to his full potential he may have been a fringe candidate for the Hall, but the odds of them touching ‘Spree’ seems distant right now.