MONEYBALL The Art of Winning an Unfair Game

The blurb on the back cover of this study of major league baseball and money touts the author's "usual narrative flair." What delights the listener, however, is the reader's narrative flair. Granted, the writing is sprightly. Lewis asserts that conventional wisdom holds that the bigger the payroll, the better the ball club. Not so, says Lewis. To prove it, he gives a lively anecdotal account, including locker room humor, of the eccentrics of the Oakland Athletics, a team able to excel with a small budget. Scott Brick makes the most of these assets, less like a gifted narrator and more like a sports fan regaling pals with fascinating inside scoops. Further, the melody of his narration is one of Brick's most expressive and tuneful. In all his work, Brick almost sings in a youthful, manly voice brimming with personality and gusto. It sounds here as if "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" is one of his favorite ditties. Y.R. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine [Published: DEC 03/JAN 04]