Joy in Mudville

TV sports correspondent Schaap, author of 27 books, and Gerberg, PW cartoonist, have assembled a top-flight collection of some 150 pieces, including virtually every classic bit of humor in baseball history. The book opens with Ernest Lawrence Thayer's poem ``Casey at the Bat'' and includes the Abbott and Costello ``Who's on First'' routine, Casey Stengel's remarks on antitrust legislation before a Senate committee, quotations from Yogi Berraconfusing, since Berra's teammate Whitey Ford was nicknamed `Chairman of the Board,' right?/if you say so.gs , James Thurber's story ``You Could Look It Up,'' excerpts from Ring Lardner's classic novel You Know Me, Al , and analysis from the best columnists (e.g., Red Smith and Jim Murray). Adding to the riches, this cornucopia of laughs also offers 15 photos and dozens of cartoons from the likes of Gerberg, Peter Arno, Charles Addams, Jules Feiffer--the best of the century. An absolute must for baseball fans, and certainly the definitive work of its type. (June)