Courage: True Stories of American Sports Heroes

Celizic ( On the Run ) appears to be a specialist in lump-in-the-throat tales; fans of virtually any sport, major or minor, will find an inspiring hero in these 13 biographies. Some of the laureled were born with physical handicaps, like one-handed pitcher Jim Abbott; others worked their way back from career-threatening injuries, like basketball star Bernard King and quarterback Joe Montana; marathoner Joan Benoit Samuelson and catcher Gary Carter performed while suffering great pain; 42-year-old heavyweight George Foreman tried to resurrect his youthful strength. Of special interest are the female pioneers--Billie Jean King in tennis management, Anne Donovan in basketball and Susan Butcher in dogsled racing--whose example has already given courage to other women. Photos not seen by PW. (Dec.)