Born to Play: The Eric Davis Story, Life Lessons in Overcoming Adversity on and Off the Field

Readers who can get beyond Davis's self-congratulatory tone and some writing that's even worse than the run-of-the-mill sports autobiography might enjoy the behind-the-scenes look at baseball life and the inspirational narrative of how Davis overcame colon cancer. Having grown up with Darryl Strawberry on the mean streets of L.A., Davis came to the big leagues with a dazzling combination of speed and power. He was a part of the 1990 World Series Champion Cincinnati Reds and the 1997 pennant-contending Baltimore Orioles. In 1999, he will play with Mark McGwire for the St. Louis Cardinals. Davis's accounts of how he fought back repeatedly from injuries (the aggressive Gold Glove outfielder claims he's ""the one that caused them to put padding on the walls all around National League ballparks""), coped with the death of his gangster brother and battled colon cancer all make for compelling reading. So does the dish on Cincinnati Reds former owner Marge Schott, Pete Rose and other big-league personalities. But Davis's professed humility doesn't ring true. Statements such as ""Of all the things I learned, the most important is to live your life understanding that God is in charge, and be humble about it"" lose their credibility next to ""Can I put this club on my back and carry it for a month? Will I get the chance?"" And Davis's scribe, Wiley, seems missing in action: the book lacks even any sort of proper structure. (Apr.)