Little League Confidential: One Coach's Completely Unauthorized Tale of Survival

This Little League coach's account of his woes, travails and soul storms in the course of one season is side-splitting. Geist, a CBS News correspondent, lives in Ridgewood, N.J., where he has shepherded preadolescents on the diamond for nine years and, to his amazement, has survived. He describes the draft system for securing players and a shrewd angle-worker who rigged the system. He analyzes the four major types of coaches: ``It's only a game, so let's just have fun'' (the nerd, according to the kids); ``Win or I'll kill you'' (the asshole, according to the kids); ``We're here to build character, to learn life's lessons'' (the despicable preacher, according to Geist); ``I pick the kids with the best-looking mothers'' (attribution superfluous). He writes of the games, with pitchers flinging balls three feet over the batters' heads, outfielders aiming for third base but throwing to first and a few tyros who are actually good. For anyone in need of a good laugh. First serial to Parents magazine; Literary Guild featured alternate. (May)