"Daydreamer Jason, 11, has just been [dropped] from his Little League team. Seeking solace at the baseball-card shop, he makes a startling hypothesis: 'Buck McHenry,' star pitcher [of the Negro Leagues], could be school custodian Mack Henry. Mr. Henry's identity, in doubt through much of the book, provides a mystery, a bittersweet revelation, and a satisfyingly dramatic denouement. The characterizations are pungent, the action (on and off the diamond) involving. A solid, rewarding story." ?K. <P> <awards> Finalist, 1992 Edgar Allan Poe Award, Juvenile Category (Mystery Writers of America)<br>Children's Choices for 1992 (IRA/CBC)</awards>