Kal Daniels

Kal Daniels had Hall of Fame potential, but injuries hampered his chances and ultimately finished his career. There are many other players like Kal Daniels out there (in that regard), and they deserve to be recognized, if not by the Hall of Fame, then by the average baseball fan. 

Kalvoski Daniels was born on August 20, 1963, in Vienna, Georgia. A baseball phenom from day one, he hit .500 in high school and set the Northside High single season home run record. Daniels made his pro debut at age 18, tore up the minor leagues for five seasons, and was with the Cincinnati Reds by 1986. He batted .320 in 74 games as a rookie and established himself as a star in 1987, hitting .334 with 26 home runs and 26 stolen bases in only 108 games (368 at bats). He proceeded to lead the NL in on base percentage (.397) in 1988 to go along with 27 thefts. 

Injuries took their toll on Daniels in 1989, as the 25 year old underwent his sixth career knee surgery and was traded to the Dodgers before the end of the season. He came back strong in 1990 (.296-27-94), but stole only four bases. His knee problems started to affect his hitting, too, as he slumped in both average (.249) and power (17 homers) in 1991. He played one last season in 1992, hitting six homers in a partial season with two teams. 

If Daniels could stay healthy, he could have been a Hall of Famer. For his career he slashed .285/.382/.479 with 104 homers in only 2,338 at bats. He was only 29 when he quit, and still produced when available. In a perfect world, Daniels would be in Cooperstown; in this imperfect world, we can at least do our best and remember what a talent he truly was.