PLAY BY PLAY: Baseball, Radio, and Life in the Last Chance League

Following his lifelong dream, National Public Radio personality Conan took a sabbatical to do baseball play-by-play. Toiling in an independent minor league, the rookie sportscaster writes of the daunting task of filling the airwaves during his Aberdeen (Md.) Arsenal broadcasts with compelling stories and anecdotes; Conan the fledgling author seems to find filling the pages of his book just as difficult. Quotes from players and coaches go on far too long and reveal far too little (and are often unattributed). Conan's childlike enthusiasm for the game is undeniable and his storytelling skills solid, but there's nothing about this band of ballplayers, managed by former major league slugger Darrell Evans that's particularly engaging. It's questionable whether the book's best story—a lengthy account of Conan once being held hostage in Iraq while pursuing an NPR feature—belongs in a baseball book. Similarly, the author's love note to his son feels out of place. All the minor league clichés are here: players on their way up or on their way down, the talented kid with the bad attitude and the kid with the great attitude and marginal skills, and the lonely life of a baseball nomad. America's rediscovery of minor league baseball has meant numerous love-of-the-game articles and programs focusing on the lesser leagues' pastoral charms. Conan's take on it, however earnest, offers little that's new. (May)