Birth of a Fan

This captivating collection of 15 essays assembled by Sports Illustrated senior editor Fimrite will spark warm responses from dedicated diamond fans who remember when they first became addicted. Pride of place belongs to Roger Angell, who comes out strongly against romanticizing the game, noting, ``Baseball memories are seductive, tempting us always toward sweetness and undercomplexity.'' Fortunately few of the entries play with such sentimental notions as father-son bonding through baseball, although Fimrite's contribution is a sad tale of his mother's sentiment that she had ``lost him'' when he and his father developed a shared interest in the sport. Particularly noteworthy is Anne Lamott's ``The Psychic Hat,'' on being a teenage female fan, while the selections by J. Anthony Lucas, Frank Deford and William Kennedy are also excellent. A short afterword by Nora Ephron strikes a wry and amusing note. (Mar.)