Special Treatment

Toiletries king Morgan Hudson suddenly finds himself in possession of a bona fide miracle. It's not a new skin cream but his baseball team, the losing New York Comets. With the help of three ""superplayers"" who are all batting over .300 (one .375), he's got a chance at the pennant. Skeptical doctors, sportswriters and the new baseball commissioner haven't been able to find any sign of hormones, steroids or anything in common among the teammates--except that they all train at the very exclusive Pro Club. When the superplayers start turning violent, cub reporter Robin Kennedy and orthopedic surgeon Adam Salt find themselves thrown together to reveal what conventional tests won't. There isn't, perhaps, enough intimation of real danger to make it a great thriller, and one knows what villainy's afoot pretty early, but Fisher (Side Effects) is a fine writer and fills her book with real medical interest and a baseball angle for full summertime appeal. (Aug.)