Country Hardball: The Autobiography of Enos ""Country"" Slaughter

This could have been an engrossing sports read, for, one would think, Slaughter has much to say. A North Carolina farmboy, ``Country'' reached baseball stardom in the early 1940s and forged a long major-league career, most notably with the St. Louis Cardinals. His love of the game transcended the era's paltry pay and outlived five marriages. Known for his all-out style of play, Slaughter had left an indelible mark by 1959 when, at age 43, he found the gate shut not only to a playing career but to the rewards he felt should have accrued from meritorious service. Managerial jobs dried up and, while his ``Mad Dash to Home'' to win the '46 World Series remained a highlights-film staple, his admission to the Hall of Fame in 1985 came late. Now 75, Slaughter, with aid from sportswriter Reid, hits only a slow-roller with this shallow, bitter account of his life that leaves much uncharted ``Country.'' (Sept.)