CHECK IT OUT

If you’re among the legions for whom baseball is more than a game, you

can score big at Newport libraries. In addition to books offering

play-by-play insight into our national pastime, there are videos,

audiocassettes and compact discs that revisit the sport’s most magical

moments.

Practically all the bases of the game’s hold on the American heart are

covered in “The National Game,” an overview of the sport over the past

175 years. If you’re interested in how baseball has contributed to

changes in American society over that time, don’t miss this survey of a

couple of centuries’ worth of events, trends, facts and myths involving

plays, players and behind the scenes action.

For Yankee devotees, journalist Maury Allen provides an insider’s look

at on-field and off-field controversies in “All Roads Lead to October,”

an insightful tale about the Bronx Bombers under George Steinbrenner.

There are stories about such stormy situations as pitchers Mike Kekich

and Fritz Peterson swapping wives, Billy Martin’s hirings and firings,

and Yogi Berra’s exile in this take on one of baseball’s most celebrated

teams.

Determining which squad merits the “greatest of the century”

designation is the mission of sports columnist Rob Neyer and former

baseball exec Eddie Epstein in “Baseball Dynasties.” While the two don’t

always see eye to eye, they agree on the team that qualifies as best of

the modern era, after an exhaustive analysis of statistics, Hall of

Famers on the roster, and numerous other tangibles and intangibles.

Some of the sport’s greatest years, as witnessed by a Pulitzer

Prize-winning writer, are the subject of “Red Smith on Baseball.” In this

collection of memorable columns, you can find accounts of such

unforgettable events as Jackie Robinson’s debut, Enos Slaughter’s dash

from first and the departure of the Dodgers and Giants.

Rather than reading about baseball’s golden age, perhaps you’d like to

relive it through the voices of men who were there. Check out “The Glory

of Their Times,” featuring four hours of tales on audiocassette from Babe

Ruth, Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson and other giants of the game.

View some of these legends in action on “When It Was A Game,” a video

composed of home movie footage taken by fans and the players between 1934

and 1957. Or, survey more current action on numerous videos of actual

World Series games.

Perhaps nothing gets one in the mood for watching or playing baseball

as a rousing chorus of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.” Hear a fine

rendition on “Baseball,” the original soundtrack of Ken Burn’s epic film

series that chronicles over a century of baseball lore in nine dramatic

videos.

* CHECK IT OUT is written by the staff of the Newport Beach Public

Library. This week’s column is by Melissa Adams, in collaboration with

Sara Barnicle. All titles may be reserved from home or office computers

by accessing the catalog at o7 www.newportbeachlibrary.orgf7 .