Baseball Hall of Shame 3

In the first and second volumes of this series, Nash and Zullo presented most of the best-known blunders and bloopers in baseball history; in this title they recount lesser-known incidents, many of which are either silly and fun or verge on the bizarre but are nonetheless fodder for any baseball fan. In ""Playoff Lovers,'' the authors quote interviews with fans and journalists in attendance who swear they saw a couple making love on the crowded field in the pandemonium following New York Giant Bobby Thomson's 1951 playoff home run against the Dodgers. Boston Red Sox manager Eddie Kasko is ``inducted'' into the Hall of Shame for having faked a faint in protest of an umpire's call in 1972. (He was immediately thrown out of the game.) In ``Bullpen Bozos,'' the authors recount the time that former Dodger reliever Ron Perranoski squirted a water pistol at a boy who asked for an autograph. Pepper Martin is honored for the 1938 game in which he threw the ball at the heads of each of the opposing team's runners who hit the ball to him at third base. Recommended for spring training. (March)