AN ALMOST PERFECT GAME

A valentine to a game that was, and could be again, almost perfect. A Cascade League playoff game between the Nottingham Shoppers and the Wakena Apples reaches a new level of excitement when Jake discovers that what he puts down on his scorecard comes to pass on the baseball field—sometimes. Luck or magic? While Jake struggles with the notion that he may have a magic scorecard, Manes deftly slips readers into the stands, recreating the authentic flavor of a minor league ball game: the sounds, the smells, the local promotions between each half-inning, the uneven (by major league standards) level of play, the intimacy of a small stadium. Tension mounts as the Shoppers' Dirk Wade pitches one perfect inning after another—only to lose in the 10th; still, a special night for him, and for Jake, who leaves with a caught foul ball, a new collection of baseball cards, a battered program containing that scorecard, plus a startling note from Wade: ``Thanks Jake. I couldn't have done it without you.'' Funny incidents and one-liners sparkle throughout the seamless narrative, but Manes also inserts thoughtful dialogue about fair play and fan interference. (Fiction. 10-13)