With his short stature, Paul Kariya did not look the part of the professional hockey player, but once he took to the ice, there was little doubt that he was among the elite. Kariya was a very intelligent player and displayed such amazing skill that he was often compared with the immortal Wayne Gretzky. Known for his gentlemanly play, he rarely made mistakes and had incredible speed. Concussions reduced his career and his career points total may not be in the upper echelon, but had he been healthier it very well could have.

One of the more consistent hitters in his era, Carlos Delgado was only named to two All-Star teams due to the glut of top-tier first basemen in his time. He had great power numbers (473 Home Runs and 1,512 Runs Batted In) and a very good career OPS of .929, which sounds like Hall of Fame numbers, but his career WAR of 44.3, although good, is not on par with many of the current players they are looking at.

Another very interesting name eligible for the 2014 Baseball Hall of Fame vote is Luis Gonzalez. “Gonzo” has very good career numbers, with 2,591 Hits, 354 Home Runs, and 1,439 RBI’s. His 48.0 career bWAR is nothing to sneeze at either. The question that arises with Gonzalez is the major spike in his power numbers in his 30s and the fact that he had his best seasons in his second decade in the Majors. Although his name has never been associated with PEDs, he is often lumped in that category. As it stands, Gonzalez is probably a bubble candidate before the alleged controversy. With that cloud over his head, who knows what voters will think?

An Indie Supergroup (is that a bit of an oxymoron?) The New Pornographers may not be designed to sell a lot of records, but they have continued to fly the flag of Indie Power Pop well into the new millennium. If the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame looks at all the talent assembled in this ensemble, maybe they would have a shot.



The Bullet Points:
Eligible Since:
2025

Country of Origin:
Vancouver, Canada

NIHOF’s Favorite Album:
Mass Romantic (2000)

NIHOF’s Favorite Song:
Mass Romantic (From Mass Romantic, 2000)