Bound to be hits for baseball lovers. (Spring Reading).(Book Review)

The annual spring flood of baseball books can provide a season of entertainment for fans. David Wells' literary debut dominated headlines, and publishers will tout high-profile nostalgia writers David Halberstam, Roger Kahn and the late Stephen Jay Gould. But cover all the bases with these four books.

Classic Baseball: The Photographs of Walter Iooss Jr.

Iooss vibrant images capture baseball's essence. Relive magnificent players in their primes: Juan Marichal winding up; Bob Gibson following through; Willie Mays swinging; Reggie Jackson watching a home run; Lou Brock stealing. A portrait of an eager, confident Pete Rose confirms memories, while a relaxed, even gleeful, young Hank Aaron peels away common perceptions. Equally stirring are shots of players you never saw or don't remember.

The Cuban Prospect by Brian Shawver

This short novel about an American scout smuggling a star pitcher out of Cuba is full of life. It's a suspenseful page-turner, a culture-clash, an odd-couple road trip and a provocative meditation on the hunger for recognition all crammed into one. And, of course, there are some superb takes on baseball. Shawver avoids the rookie mistake of a Hollywood ending--his final inning actually might seem anticlimactic after so much action, but it will haunt you long after you put the book down.

The New Yorker Book of Baseball Cartoons

Some books celebrate and glorify baseball, the humor here gently ...