Major League Murder

Slots Resnick, private eye and ex-minor leaguer, is asked by Father Quinn, bookie priest from the old neighborhood, to help clear the name of the father of a young black parishioner. The estranged father, former big-league pitcher Jeff Davis, turns out to be an old adversary from Slots's days in the minors. Davis, universally hated by those who played with and against him, had been banned from the major leagues when he was discovered doctoring the ball during a playoff game. But Davis's son and Father Quinn believe he's innocent. Slots, a tough guy with a heart of gold, is a sucker for the old padre, nor can he resist the appeal of a boy who wants to believe in his dad. As Slots tracks down the players and umpires involved in the critical playoff game, he finds there were more playerswith more at stakethan anyone realized. Geller ( Heroes Also Die ) populates this formula mystery with stock characters and enough cliches to fill Yankee Stadium: when Slots needs some info, he peels a fin off his bankroll; when he's with a sexy babe, she holds his eyes with hers that extra second. While the baseball sequences are competently done, the remainder of the story is strictly bush-league. (Dec.)