BASEBALL

As you'd expect in a history of baseball, all the legends are here. So is the story of the game's growth from the Elysian Fields of New Jersey to the multi-million dollar entertainment it is today. But Ward and Burns do more than chronicle the exploits of heroes. They examine "America's pastime" in the context of our history, showing a relationship between the game and events, trends, and customs that shaped our country. The one disappointment in this production is its reader. Burns has a high voice, which doesn't modulate enough to reflect context. This lack of variety makes everything sound crucial. P.B.J. ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: APR 95]